To Be Free
by SpiralAK
Summary: On the night the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed into Naruto Uzumaki, the boy in question lost his life. Because of this, the Nine-Tailed Fox has full control of its container's body, taking the opportunity to gain something that was long-lost: freedom.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**: This story was inspired by cerokun's challenge: The Kyuubi on the Loose (Or Maybe Not).

* * *

"Sealing Art: Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"

The Shinigami appeared behind Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. The technique had a high cost to perform – the user's soul – but Minato felt, _knew_ that the only way to prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox from destroying the Hidden Leaf Village was to seal it into a human vessel – Minato was aware that the younger the vessel was, the more difficult it would be for the Fox to break the seal and escape.

"Minato, have you prepared the seal? I can't keep the Fox restrained for much longer," Kushina shouted to her husband. She had kept the Fox restrained using chakra chains after making a barrier which surrounded them.

"Yes. Where is our son, Kushina?"

Kushina held Naruto protectively, hugging him. "He's sleeping. More importantly, why is he here?! What are you planning, Minato?"

"I want to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox into Naruto. That masked man is after him and I know that our child is destined for greatness. The Fox will help him fulfil his destiny and protect him from that man, whether it likes it or not," Minato replied.

"Don't you dare, Minato! Do you know the life Naruto will live if he has that monster stuck inside of him. Let me tell you, it's not pleasant at all!"

"Hopefully, it won't come to that. My hope is that Naruto will be a hero, someone who is revered for being a jinchūriki." Minato said proudly.

"No! Seal it into me. Even if it costs me my life, as long as the Fox is dead, Naruto can live peacefully, free from the demon's influence!"

"That won't work, Kushina. The Fox will escape and our efforts will be wasted. In fact, once I grab the Fox, run away. That way, Naruto will at least have one parent to take care of him."

"I can't, Minato. I'm dying. When that man removed the Fox from me, it weakened me so much. I don't know if I'll have enough energy to escape."

"Naruto needs someone to raise him, someone that will keep him safe from harm and love him. I've already summoned the Shinigami, so I can't be the one to do it. Kushina, it has to be you."

Kushina remained silent for a bit, thinking about the dilemma that she and her husband were thrown into. "Minato, please do me a favour," she said softly after making a plan. Tears started flowing from her eyes.

"Anything for you, my love."

_I'm almost out of chakra, so I might not be able to seal myself into Naruto without dying. _"Seal me into Naruto. That way, I can watch over him, guide him in any way I can."

Minato contemplated Kushina's idea. "...That might work out. Alright then, I'll see what I can do." With that being said, Minato prepared a shrine (of sorts) and placed Naruto on the bed.

"Shinigami! I want you to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox into Naruto. Do whatever you have to for this to be!"

"The agreement has been made. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox known as Kurama will be sealed into the vessel that you have chosen." The Shinigami intoned, using its hand to reach for the Fox, impaling Minato. "In exchange, your soul and the soul of the vessel will be taken as penance."

"No! I want to change the agreement," Minato pleaded desperately. "Please seal half of the Fox's chakra and its soul into me and seal the other half of its chakra into Naruto. Please do this!"

"I cannot. Such an action supersedes the scope of the initial agreement. As such, the soul of the vessel and the soul of the summoner will be taken as penance, with the soul of the Nine-Tailed Fox and its power being sealed into the vessel."

_This wasn't how it was supposed to go! I can't let Kushina know about this. Even if she dies, I can't tell her what will happen to Naruto. _Minato, with his chakra and life force being sucked away bit by bit by the Shinigami, summoned Gerotora, telling it to hand Jiraiya the key to the Eight Trigrams Seal that would be used to seal Kushina's consciousness into Naruto. He then called Kushina over.

"Kushina, I love you so much. I just wish that this didn't have to happen."

"And I love you, Minato, now and always. Let me give Naruto some advice. You should say something too!" Kushina said, smiling sadly with her eyes closed.

While Kushina was giving Naruto her heartfelt advice, Hiruzen Sarutobi – the Third Hokage – came to Minato's aid.

"Minato! What is happening to you?" Hiruzen called out.

"Don't worry about me, Hiruzen. I want you to do me a favour. No matter what happens, please protect my son in any way you can. Even if Naruto is the Fox, or becomes possessed by it, please protect him!" Minato cried out, tears flowing profusely from his eyes.

While Hiruzen was slightly confused by the meaning behind Minato's request, he complied. "I will do as you say, Minato."

Minato smiled genuinely when he heard those words. Kushina had finished giving Naruto advice and stood in front of Minato. She was also crying, both tears of joy (at what Naruto might become) and sadness (that she wouldn't be there for Naruto, not directly at least).

"Minato, is there anything you want to say to Naruto?" Kushina asked.

"Naruto, I love you and I'm sorry that I can't be a father to you like I hoped I could be." Minato blurted out, his tears flowing even more. With a smile on his face, he directed the Shinigami, who had been restraining the Fox with its otherworldly presence after Kushina's chains disappeared (due to chakra exhaustion), to drag the Fox into Naruto's body. After the Fox was sealed, Minato prepared the final jutsu he would ever perform.

Minato shouted out the name of the jutsu, "Eight Trigrams Seal!" Minato's eyes went blank as soon as he performed the jutsu, the last of his chakra being drained by the Shinigami. Kushina was sucked into the seal located on Naruto's stomach.

The last thing Minato heard was the Shinigami.

"The agreement has been fulfilled. The Nine-Tailed Fox shall be contained and bound to the vessel until said vessel's failure." Then Minato dropped lifelessly to the ground, a smile still on his face.

The last thing he saw was the night sky as the Shinigami disappeared, his soul and the soul of his newborn son going with it.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I hope that I captured Minato and Kushina's characterization well enough with the dialogue I made, since I changed it around from the original dialogue used in the show.


	2. The Reveal

Chapter One: The Reveal

Twelve years. It had been over twelve years since the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the Hidden Leaf. For Naruto Uzumaki, who was born on that fateful day, it was twelve years of loneliness, twelve years of longing, twelve years of hostility. Most looked at him with an unmistakeably cold glare (that did little to mask their hatred for the boy), civilian and ninja alike. Some showed their hatred openly, by preventing him from shopping in their stores or berating him in public.

Even if Naruto never understood why this was happening to him, he never succumbed to feelings of despair or let his situation get him down. He would make everyone look at him and acknowledge his existence, because while Naruto hated being hated, he felt that to be forgotten, to be invisible, was a fate worse than death.

That was why when Mizuki, one of his teachers in the Ninja Academy, approached Naruto with a way to help him pass the exam that he failed for the third time, Naruto jumped on the chance that was given to him. Being a ninja would help him get closer to becoming Hokage – then Naruto believed that everyone would have to respect him.

Naruto stole the Scroll of Seals with ease (after knocking out the Hokage with his Sexy Jutsu) and made his escape. He opened the scroll and read it, then learned the first jutsu on the scroll, the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Satisified at his success, he closed the scroll, only to find Iruka Umino staring him down.

"Naruto, why do you have the Scroll of Seals? You know that what you have done is an illegal offense."

Naruto looked shocked, "But Iruka-sensei! Mizuki-sensei told me that if I took the scroll and learned a technique from it, I would be able to become a Genin!"

Iruka pinched his nose in disbelief, "Naruto, why would you listen to Mizuki, or anyone, if they told you to take the scroll? It's best if you give me the scroll. I'll make sure it returns to its rightful place."

Naruto was about to hand the scroll to Mizuki when another ninja approached the pair. "Naruto, don't give him the scroll," the ninja shouted out.

Naruto was surprised to see two Irukas in front of him, but then he realized that one of them was an impostor. "Which one of you is the real Iruka-sensei? Don't lie to me!"

The Iruka who just arrived punched the second Iruka in the face. The transformation jutsu dispelled, revealing the Iruka to be Mizuki.

Naruto was dumbfounded by the events that unfolded. "Mizuki-sensei! Why would you want to impersonate Iruka-sensei?"

Mizuki stood up, nursing his jaw where he was punched. "So that both you and Iruka could be blamed for the theft of the scroll and I could get away with the scroll scot-free!"

"But why would you do this to me?"

Mizuki started walking towards Naruto. "A gullible failure with some sense of stealth, the same person who is reviled by the majority of the village and will do anything for their acceptance makes for a great scapegoat, don't you think? Besides, nobody will miss you if you get thrown in jail. It might just be a blessing for you."

Naruto stood expressionless as Mizuki continued.

"By the way, do you want to know why everybody hates you, Naruto?"

Iruka tried to stop Mizuki from speaking by trying to knock him out, "Mizuki, don't! You'll be revealing an S-rank secret!"

Mizuki ignored him and drove a knee into his gut, causing Iruka to drop to the ground, "Twelve years ago on October 10th, the Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox into a newborn baby!"

Naruto interrupted Mizuki, "That's not true, the Fourth Hokage killed the Fox!"

"That was a lie told to hide the secret about the Fox, Naruto. It would be easier for the masses to believe that the Fox was dead, especially the new generation of the Hidden Leaf Village."

Iruka continued his attempts at stopping Mizuki from crossing the "point of no return", managing to regain his composure, "No, Mizuki! Don't do it!"

Mizuki, once again, did not regard Iruka's words, instead kicking him in his ribs. Turning back to Naruto, he smirked. "Do you know who the baby was, Naruto? Let me tell you who it was and why everybody hates you!

"It's because the baby that the Fourth sealed the Fox into is you. You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

* * *

_"You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"_

Something clicked within Naruto after Mizuki revealed that bit of information to him. Scores of memories started flooding Naruto's mind as everything fell into place: the reasons why everybody hated him, the reasons why he was all alone. It was because he was the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Naruto, or rather, Kurama, remembered his reaction to being sealed into the dead boy's body. He remembered the ominous feeling of dread when the Shinigami pulled him into Naruto's body. He remembered feelings of rage and anguish upon being controlled by that masked man, then being sealed by Naruto's father, the wretched Fourth Hokage, only hours after escaping the seal and experiencing true, albeit temporary, freedom. Freedom was a feeling he relished immensely.

A demonic grin overtook Naruto's face as his eyes changed colour from blue to red. _Is that right, Mizuki? Well, you hit the nail right on the head with that observation. I have to thank you, now I truly feel alive._ Kurama then began to chuckle evilly. Mizuki noticed the change and started to grow nervous, but shook off the feelings of nervousness he was getting.

"Even Iruka hates you! You're the one who killed his parents after all. He was only pretending to be nice to you so that he could stab you in the back!"

"Naruto, you know that's not true," Iruka said.

Kurama considered what Iruka was saying, then looked away so that Iruka wouldn't notice his eyes change colour, "Why should I believe you, Iruka-sensei?" Kurama decided that keeping up appearances would be best, for the time being at least.

Iruka was still lying on the ground, but he slowly stood up, "I'll admit, I did see you as the Fox, but after getting to know you better, I realized that you didn't deserve any hatred from anyone. You were just an attention-starved boy who needed someone to notice you.

"I knew how you felt back then. When I lost my parents on that day, I felt so alone. I would do anything to get someone, anyone's attention."

Kurama was... touched by what Iruka was saying and he couldn't understand why. He almost felt sorry for killing Iruka's parents, although whether it was because he killed them while he was under the masked man's control instead of killing them when he _was_ in control of his body or he felt sympathy for Iruka's loss, he wasn't entirely sure.

Mizuki laughed at Iruka's words, "It's just more lies, Naruto! Don't you see? He's only trying to manipulate you. Now then, Naruto, give me the scroll, then you can become a Genin."

Kurama turned to look at Mizuki, "You must really think that I'm a fool if I'm going to let you get away with what you've done."

Mizuki started seething in anger, "You pick now to grow a brain? If you don't want to give me the scroll, then I'll pull it out of your dead hands!" Mizuki grabbed the giant shuriken on his back and launched it at Kurama.

The shuriken was whirring at a speed faster than Kurama could currently react to, but fortunately for him, Iruka pushed him out of the way, avoiding the shuriken that continued spinning into the distance.

"Iruka, you bastard! If you could just stop being a nuisance, then the brat would have been killed!"

"No, Mizuki. Naruto is one of my students and I will protect him, with my life if I have to!"

_Is this what it feels like to be acknowledged? _Kurama thought. He couldn't recall feeling like this for a long time, not since his father/creator passed away.

"Iruka-sensei, thank you for your help, but I can handle Mizuki," Kurama said, a solemn expression on his face. Kurama began to grin widely, anticipating the feeling of bloodshed and how great it would feel.

Mizuki laughed cruelly, "You? You're not even a Genin! How will you be able to even touch me?"

Kurama's eyes, which had returned to its normal blue while Iruka was speaking, changed to red. An orange-red chakra cloak enveloped him as his fingernails lengthened to become claws, his whiskers darkened and his teeth became sharper. He formed the cross-seal, "Let me show you! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Five clones wrapped in the same chakra cloak appeared behind and next to Kurama, the smiles on their face having no trace of happiness. Their smiles weren't normal. They were predatory.

Iruka, while surprised at Naruto's sudden change in personality, was impressed by Naruto's progress. _Impressive! Naruto couldn't even do the Clone Jutsu, but now he can use the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Maybe he can become Hokage._

The clones lunged at Mizuki, attacking him with the ferocity of a demon. While Mizuki was able to hold his own against Kurama's clones at first, Kurama overwhelmed him by summoning more and more clones. Mizuki was kicked in the groin, punched in the ribs, slashed across the face and elbowed in his throat, unable to overcome Naruto's onslaught.

* * *

Mizuki, who was lying battered and broken on the ground, was terrified by Naruto and when he looked up, he didn't see Naruto the dead-last failure, he saw Naruto, the demon fox reincarnated. _When I told him he was the Fox, I meant that the Fox was sealed inside of him! What happened to the boy, where a few words would make him act like that abomination? _He gurgled out a desperate plea, "Stay away from me! Please!"

Kurama's demonic grin grew wider, "I can't do that. Not only did you try to kill me, you tried to kill my sensei, the first person to truly acknowledge my existence and see me as someone worth dying for." Kurama pulled out a kunai from his holster, spinning it expertly. _I'm going to enjoy cutting him open like a piece of_ meat. Kurama drove the kunai towards Mizuki's head, but just before he could make contact, Iruka called him out.

"Naruto, stop!"

Kurama turned to face Iruka, his chakra cloak receding. "Why shouldn't I? He's a traitor, a liar, a fool! He doesn't deserve to live!"

"Because you're better than he is. You've already defeated him and terrified him. Let him live for the rest of his life with the knowledge that he was beaten and humiliated by the Academy's 'worst' student."

Kurama laughed, a genuine smile forming on his face. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei. If you weren't here, I would have killed Mizuki and enjoyed the feeling of slicing him apart."

Iruka's expression turned serious. "Naruto. Don't _ever_ think like that. You shouldn't find enjoyment in senseless murder. Even if it is necessary to kill, becoming a monster isn't good. At all."

"Would you still like me... if I were a monster, a demon I mean?"

Iruka looked sad, but answered as honestly as he could. "Naruto, no matter what, I will always accept you. While I hope that you don't become a monster, if that ever happens, I'll be counting on some part of the old you remaining."

Kurama remained silent, processing the series of events that recently transpired.

Before Kurama could complete any potential analysis of his situation, Iruka asked him to close his eyes. Kurama closed his eyes and when he re-opened them, he saw Iruka, but without his forehead protector.

Kurama felt a different weight on his forehead. Curious, he rose a hand up to feel it, feeling the grooves of the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village. "What does this mean, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka smiled brightly, "It means that I recognize you as a Genin. After I speak to Lord Hokage about this, you'll be officially promoted. Congratulations!"

Kurama smiled again. "Thank you so much, Iruka-sensei. Now I'm one step closer."

While Iruka might have thought that Naruto meant he was one step closer to becoming Hokage, Kurama meant something else entirely. A thought about a possibility that hadn't crossed his mind for a very long time entered his mind, quickly becoming his goal – freedom.

True freedom. Freedom from the seal, freedom from hatred, freedom to do anything, anywhere, anytime.

No one would control him. He wouldn't be sealed into anyone else's body ever again. And he would do everything in his (immense) power to finally be free.


	3. A Long Day

Chapter 2: A Long Day

Becoming a Genin was a great thing for Kurama. It opened many windows for him to gain more knowledge on different topics related to his goal, including potential recruits. After all, he did need allies to act as diversions, guinea pigs and human shields.

The biggest threat to his goal was that masked man who was able to control him. Kurama could only remember being controlled one other time, by Madara Uchiha (which was the start of Kurama's rather torturous Hidden Leaf Experience) – however, Kurama was certain that the masked man and Madara were two different people. That man would have to be taken care of, since someone with that sort of power was _far_ too dangerous to be left alive.

Those and other thoughts occupied Kurama's mind as he waited outside the Hokage's office in order to be debriefed regarding the whole Scroll of Seals fiasco. A masked person (although not _that_ masked person) approached him. The person was therefore a member of ANBU, then.

"Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage is ready to see you now." The ANBU reported.

Allowing the ANBU to escort him to the Hokage's office, he was whisked into the office, the ANBU leaving just as quickly after that.

"Ah, Naruto. Please, sit down." The Hokage said kindly.

Once Kurama sat down in the single chair, the Hokage got down to business. "First things first, Naruto. After hearing of your ability to perform Shadow Clones from Iruka, I have agreed with Iruka's decision to be promoted, making your promotion official."

Kurama knew this was a formality. The only thing he failed was the Clone Jutsu. He could now perform the Shadow Clones, making his promotion inevitable. He was still grateful, to an extent, "Thank you for the promotion, Lord Hokage."

"Naruto, it's not like you to be so formal. Something must be troubling you, then."

Kurama's gaze hardened slightly, "Why didn't you tell me that there was a demon fox in this body, Old Man Hokage? You could have saved me a lot of grief that way." _And helped me to start my long road to freedom a bit earlier_, Kurama added silently.

The Hokage looked apologetic when he began to speak, "Naruto. I only wanted to protect you. That was why I made the details about you and the Nine-Tailed Fox an S-rank secret. Not for the previous generations, but for newer generations that, ideally, wouldn't be influenced by the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack, so that you could live a normal life."

"That secret didn't help me out at all! In fact, most of my classmates treat me worse than the other villagers."

_Children can be so thoughtlessly cruel_, the Hokage thought. "I am aware of that, but as they do not know about you being a jinchūriki, you still have a chance to make them change their opinions about you."

"I understand." Kurama thought of _many_ ways to change the opinions of his classmates, especially the Uchiha heir. Most of them were unpleasant, however.

"Iruka also told me about how a red cloak or shroud of chakra surrounded you and your clones when you attacked Mizuki. I am thankful that you didn't kill him, as you would have been charged with murdering a ninja."

Kurama was slightly surprised when the Hokage mentioned his chakra cloak, but focused on the second part of the Hokage's statement, which angered him more. "Mizuki was a traitor!"

"And you were fortunate that he was. As you would have been promoted to Genin, it wouldn't have affected your reputation or mission record anyway, but you'll do well to remember the consequences of murdering Hidden Leaf Ninja."

"I'll remember them fully."

The Hokage smiled briefly, before turning serious in an instant. "Now, back to the chakra shroud. It seems that you lapsed in control somehow after Mizuki revealed the secret to you. Unless you were somehow in full control the whole time?"

"I was."

The Hokage looked surprised (for a moment), but it was barely noticed by Kurama, who appeared to disregard the Hokage's reaction. "How was that possible, Naruto?"

"I wanted to kill Mizuki for betraying my trust and threatening to kill Iruka-sensei, but at the last moment, I hesitated to do so." _And I don't know why. Killing Mizuki should have been as easy as breathing._

"Maybe the cloak appeared when I was angry, but I _was_ in full control."

_What an interesting development._ "At any rate, Naruto, I am glad at how these events have turned out. Before I let you go, however, do you have any questions for me?"

_This is my chance to test the old man's loyalty._ "Two of them.

"I noticed that when my clones were dispelled, I had full knowledge of what they did. Is that a side effect of the Shadow Clone?"

"Yes. Everything experienced by the Shadow Clone will be transferred to you once the clone has dispelled."

Kurama's initial suspicions were confirmed. Also, he noticed that he was speaking far more eloquently than he normally would before last night, so he decided to speak more "normally" before more suspicions were raised.

"Do you have any other secrets to tell me? It'll only be for my own good if I know everything."

The Hokage changed course, "Do you have any secrets of your own, Naruto?"

Kurama was impressed by how the Hokage turned the question around so well. "It's something big. I _do_ hope to tell you, but only if I can trust you completely."

"I'll have you know, Naruto, that I will support you, as I have tried to before and you can trust me completely."

Kurama saw the perfect opportunity right in front of him. "Even if I was, for example, the Fox reincarnated?"

The Hokage was quite shocked to hear those words, the memories of Minato's last words to him coming back in full force. He hesitated before giving his answer.

"...Yes, even then." The Hokage had no real choice but to say those words. Logically, if Naruto _was_ the Fox, he hadn't done anything too rash that warranted any extreme measures being taken. There was also the pledge he made to Minato, which he was confused by when he first heard it.

_Everything is falling into place_. Both Kurama and the Hokage thought, simultaneously at that.

"Glad to hear that, Old Man Hokage. Is there a reason why you won't reveal your knowledge to me?"

"It's for your protection."

"We're going back to that again, aren't we?"

The Hokage was angered by Naruto's callous remark, "Naruto! I have done my best to protect you. If a villager revealed your status as the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, it would be punished by life imprisonment, at least. I have also gone to great lengths to prevent you from suffering the same kind of abuse that others like you have gone through, like what happened to Hidden Sand's jinchūriki – the target of repeated assassination attempts. Everything I have done was for your protection and I wish that I could have done more."

Kurama thought of his goal for freedom and wondered if he could add the other tailed beasts to his plan. He decided against it, since it would take far more effort to do so. Since this conversation was starting to grow a bit too heated, he decided to end it. "I understand _why_ you did it and after hearing what happened in Hidden Sand, I can only be grateful. I hope we can talk about this more often, Old Man Hokage."

The Hokage relaxed considerably, feeling relieved that he wouldn't have to continue this conversation. "It's my pleasure, Naruto. Don't forget to fill in your Ninja Registration form. You must hand that in before week's end."

Acknowledging the Hokage's advice, Kurama left the Hokage's office, armed with new knowledge and a (potentially) valuable ally.

* * *

The rest of the morning went by quickly for Kurama. After filling out his Registration form and taking a unique photograph (it had taken him quite a bit of time for him to make one of his eyes turn red without the other eye changing colour as well) to complete the form, he handed it to the Hokage, who required a bit of convincing to accept the unusual photo. All Kurama could think of was how useful that Sexy Jutsu was becoming.

Just after he knocked out the Hokage, he had witnessed a boy with a really long scarf try to assassinate the Hokage, only to trip on his scarf. Kurama wondered if this was some sort of elaborate Genjutsu, but was shaken out of his train of thought by the kid, Konohamaru.

Konohamaru noticed the blond boy in front of him laughing at his misfortune and shouted at him. "Hey, you! Don't laugh at me!"

"Why shouldn't I? You seriously think that you can take out the Hokage?"

"Yeah!" Konohamaru then noticed the Hokage knocked out, laying on the floor. "Whoa, did you do that? You have to show me how you knocked out the Hokage, mister!"

"It's Naruto, kid." Just before Kurama could make his decision to teach Konohamaru the Sexy Jutsu, a man wearing the Hidden Leaf Chunin uniform (without the flak vest) and black sunglasses entered the room.

"Honourable Grandson, I have finally found you. Come now, you must continue your training." The man was about to turn around and leave, but he noticed Kurama. _Hmph, it's the Nine-Tailed Fox boy._ "And don't waste your time playing with trash."

"Aw, come on, Ebisu, can't I take a break today?"

"You cannot, Honourable Grandson. If you want to become a great ninja, then you must train with me, since I can show you many shortcuts to become stronger faster."

Before Konohamaru could protest, Ebisu grabbed the boy's scarf and pulled him out of the room. Kurama was relieved to an extent, since he didn't exactly want to rip out Ebisu's throat in front of Konohamaru. Since he did hand in his Registration form, he was free for the rest of the day to do what he wanted. _If I have my way, it'll be like this all the time._

* * *

Kurama was walking down the streets of the village for the first time since his memories returned. The knowledge of why people would stare at him coldly or treat him badly didn't help at all with dealing with it – it made him far angrier, murderous in fact. He _was_ feeling hungry, so he decided to visit Ichiraku Ramen, his favourite restaurant.

"Old Man Teuchi, can I get a miso ramen?"

After hearing Naruto's voice, Teuchi immediately started preparing the meal for his favourite customer. "Sure thing, Naruto."

Kurama sat in his stool (the stool was even reserved for him, as a show of appreciation) and waited for Teuchi to hand him his ramen.

"Here's your ramen. Enjoy!"

"I will! Oh yeah, I have some good news to tell you."

"What is it, Naruto?"

"I became a Genin today. Promoted by the Hokage himself."

Teuchi beamed, "Congratulations, Naruto! Hey, Ayame, did you hear?"

Ayame, who was working in the kitchen, came out and congratulated Kurama, giving him a hug. "I always believed in you, Naruto! Congrats."

Naruto gave his thanks to Ayame's show of affection and began to eat. Kurama, however, was lost in thought. _Why? Why do they care about me? They both know what I did to the village and they don't hate me for it. I have to know why._

Before Ayame could head back into the kitchen, Naruto grabbed her by her apron, stopping her in her tracks.

"Ayame, Teuchi. Can I ask you something?"

Both of them noticed Naruto's forlorn expression and knew that he was serious. After sitting down on the stool next to Naruto, Ayame said, "Yes, anything."

"You know what I am, right?" Kurama rubbed the area around his stomach as a visual indicator.

Both of them nodded.

"If that's so, then why bother helping me at all? I mean, most of this village hates me for something that if I had the choice to, I might not have done. It would have been better to leave and be free than to be contained and hated." _Besides, if I destroyed the Hidden Leaf Village, that would mean destroying this Ramen Stand. That wouldn't be so great._

"Quit talking like that, Naruto. You're acting like you're the Nine-Tailed Fox, or something," Ayame said.

_Damn it! I was so careful with the Hokage and Iruka-sensei, but with two civilian chefs, I let my guard down so casually! It must have been the ramen. Maybe I can play it off._ They noticed Naruto's eyes bulge out from shock.

Teuchi stared at Naruto intently, "You don't mean..."

_What would happen if I _did _reveal my identity?_

* * *

_Kurama's thoughts_

Kurama had no choice but to reveal his identity, since Teuchi (at least) was already suspicious and ending his or Ayame's life would be pointless and arouse even _more_ suspicion. After checking around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers, he asked them if he could get some privacy. Teuchi complied and closed the stall on the outside.

Kurama felt comfortable enough, so he revealed the truth, "Yes. I am the Fox, but please, let me explain." _This is the best, and only, chance I'll get. If all goes well, then I won't have to worry._

Both Teuchi and Ayame were stupefied by this revelation, but since Naruto – the Fox – didn't kill them immediately and wanted to explain, they let him.

Kurama began his explanation, "Twelve years ago, I was unsealed from the village's previous container by a masked man. The man managed to control me and sent me to wreak havoc across the village. Eventually, the man lost control, leaving me to my own devices.

"I continued my assault, since not only was I angry at being controlled, I was restrained and tortured by the container before – so destroying the village was a great way to relieve some of my frustration. The Fourth Hokage and the container, managed to take me outside of the village, restrain me and seal me into a baby, the boy known as Naruto.

"However, the seal that the Fourth used must have backfired in some way, since there is no Naruto."

Ayame's eyes started to tear up at Kurama's words, "If that's so, then why were you so... normal?"

"Somehow, I had an identical personality to what Naruto _might_ have had."

Teuchi asked angrily, "How would you know?"

"There are some things you just know. It's thanks to experiencing what Naruto would have experienced, plus other factors I'm not sure of, that I'm currently not destroying this village."

"Why should we believe you? You could just be possessing Naruto now!"

"Demons don't lie. Besdies, you've always believed in me before and since I'm still technically Naruto, why won't you believe me now? I haven't tried to destroy the village or kill anyone who didn't deserve it."

Teuchi grabbed a stool so that he wouldn't collapse from the information overload. After regaining his composure, he said, "I'm not sure about the details, but you seem to be telling the truth."

"Yeah," Ayame added. "You're still Naruto in some way, so as long as you aren't plotting our deaths or something, we have no reason not to believe you."

Naruto, or Kurama, was genuinely surprised. He assumed that if they knew the truth, they would abandon him, or at least prevent him from eating ramen at their restaurant. _More people acknowledge me. It feels... good, in some way._

He smiled widely, "Thank you. You don't know how much what you've done means to me."

Both Teuchi and Ayame smiled back. "You're still our favourite customer, Naruto, nothing can change that," Teuchi said.

Kurama, still smiling, changed his expression abruptly. "You _cannot_ tell anyone what I've told you. It'll only result in senseless bloodshed that could have been avoided if you kept quiet." _Not that I wouldn't enjoy it. If any of these villagers try anything, it'll be their fault if they get maimed or butchered._

The following period of silence lasted for a bit, but was broken by Ayame. "...Now that we know who you really are, are you still alright with us calling you Naruto?"

He laughed, "My actual name is... Kurama, but you can call me Naruto, both for the sake of convenience and for the sake of keeping my identity secret. While you accept me now, that's only because you knew me and liked me beforehand."

Ayame stood up, "Okay then, Kurama... Yeah, I'll definitely be sticking with Naruto."

* * *

_Present Time_

_That would _never _happen. _Kurama thought. _Ever._

"Naruto, you alright?" Teuchi asked."You spaced out for a bit there."

"Sorry. I was just thinking about things. It's hard knowing why everybody hates you, even if it wasn't your choice to bear the burden."

"Well, don't worry about it, Naruto. Me and Dad will be here for you, so don't worry!" Ayame said supportively.

"You're right." _They _do _care about me, but I doubt they would take kindly to serving the Nine-Tailed Fox._

"Naruto, you're spacing out again," Teuchi said. "Your ramen is getting cold."

In an action fitting the old Naruto's demeanour, he ate the cold ramen quickly, asking for another bowl to make up for it. Both Teuchi and Ayame were more than happy to oblige.

* * *

After eating another three bowls of ramen (which was small for the old Naruto's normal lunch), Kurama left Teuchi and Ayame's restaurant without having to pay. "_The meal is on the house, for your promotion,_" he remembered Teuchi saying. He was still caught up in his thoughts when he noticed someone bump into him.

"Watch where you're – oh, it's you, Konohamaru."

Konohamaru stood up, "Naruto! I was looking for you!"

"Why?"

"You have to teach me that jutsu you used to beat my grandpa."

_So that's where the term 'Honourable Grandson' comes from. _"No thanks."

"Come on, I'm the 'Honourable Grandson'! Do you know how many people want to teach me?" _Now he'll have no choice _but _to teach me._

"Yeah, like that guy, Ebisu. Speaking of him, why'd you leave him?"

"He's boring and annoying. He won't teach me any techniques; it's just theory, or chakra control."

_I'll have to test out the limits of the seal sometime – that last time was too short-notice._ "All that stuff's important, you know. If you don't know about chakra control, you can't learn new jutsu properly.

"Oh, and I don't care if you're the Honourable Grandson of the Third Hokage. You don't see me running around saying, 'I'm the Nine-Tailed Fox!' or 'I'm the son of the Fourth Hokage!' do you?"

"No..." _He's different, that's for sure. _

"My point exactly. I have to go now, so you should go and train with Ebisu, it'll help." With that, Kurama left Konohamaru for a nearby training clearing.

* * *

"Let's try that again."

An orange-red chakra cloak enveloped Naruto's body, his features changing appropriately. Kurama took it further, channelling more of his demonic chakra and pushing it outwards. Fox ears and a single tail were added to the cloak.

Kurama exerted even more chakra, but no other tails were formed. Letting the chakra cloak dissipate, Kurama assessed his attempts to utilize his chakra.

"Only one tail? Unbelievable! If Shukaku saw this, he'd probably be laughing all day at my expense."

Kurama sat down and closed his eyes, trying to figure out the reason behind his limited power. After about half a minute of meditating, he was interrupted by someone screaming.

"...aruto! Naruto!"

"Konohamaru? What are you doing here?"

"You have to teach me that technique!"

_Stubborn kid._ Kurama exhaled deeply, "...If I teach you the jutsu, will you leave me alone?"

"Sure, sensei!"

Kurama smirked internally, which translated to a fox-like grin on 'Naruto''s face. "Okay then, it's time for you to learn the Sexy Jutsu! The number one jutsu for dealing with perverts."

Konohamaru looked at his new sensei with a mixture of surprise and adulation, "Show me!"

"Here goes. Sexy Jutsu!"

In Kurama's place, a blonde woman stood naked, wisps of smoke covering her extremities. "You like what you see, Konohamaru?"

Konohamaru nodded, "Is this it?"

"Yeah. It's a focused Transformation Jutsu. It also increases your confidence, bravado and libido."

Konohamaru was confused at the last word, but before he could ask, Kurama continued, "You'll only be able to understand this jutsu completely if you use it yourself, alright?"

Konohamaru nodded again and formed his hands in the ram seal, after asking Kurama how the jutsu was performed. "Sexy Jutsu!"

A rather ugly-looking woman appeared where Konohamaru stood. "How do you like this, Naruto?"

"I don't."

Konohamaru reverted back to normal. "What did I do wrong?"

"Everything. All the curves were in the wrong places. The face, which is actually the most important part of the jutsu, was bloated. It's the Sexy Jutsu, not the Scare Me Jutsu.

"Come on, before I show you the jutsu again, I need to show you how other women look like naked."

* * *

Kurama and Konohamaru stood in front of a book store. "Books," Konohamaru asked. "What does the Sexy Jutsu got to do with books?"

"I'll show you."

Kurama went inside the store, walked straight to the adult section and took out a magazine, "X-Rank Ninja". He returned to Konohamaru, who wandered inside the store, too impatient to wait.

"Konohamaru! You can come here afterwards. Now, it's time for you to study."

Konohamaru acquiesced and looked at different pictures of naked and/or scantily-clad kunoichi (Naruto skipped the pages featuring the shinobi). "Oh, I see now."

"Do you now? Well, let me put this magazine back where it belongs, then we can practise some more."

Unfortunately, one of the employees at the store noticed the duo. "Uzumaki! You know that you can't take out such magazines unless you're 18 or older!"

"Well, I'm a ninja now! Old enough to kill, old enough to –"

"Out! And as for you, Honourable Grandson, you should know better than to associate with a troublemaker like Uzumaki."

Naruto handed the magazine back to the employee, keeping himself from burning the fool alive after the employee snorted in disgust.

"Let's go, Konohamaru." Kurama was having trouble containing his temper, so he decided to leave.

"Is there something wrong, Naruto-sensei?"

_The kid doesn't deserve being the target of my wrath, even if he _is_ annoying. _"... Nothing. I just did something to that employee in the past... I was a prankster before, you know," Kurama added as an afterthought.

"Alright then, don't worry about him! You have to teach me that jutsu, remember?"

Kurama smiled, "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

Even with Naruto's tutoring and the additional information learned from the magazine, Konohamaru was still struggling with the jutsu and screamed out in frustration after failing the jutsu for another time.

"Why can't I do this jutsu?"

_I wonder... _"Why are you working so hard at trying to beat Old Man Hokage?"

"Everyone sees me as the 'Honourable Grandson' of the Third Hokage. Nobody sees me as Konohamaru Sarutobi. That's why, if I beat my grandpa, then the whole village will have to see me for who I really am!"

_He wants to be acknowledged as_ _well_. _He just might turn out alright after all_. "Let's continue practising that jutsu, alright Konohamaru?"

Konohamaru beamed brightly. _Finally, someone outside of my family sees me as an actual person! _"Yeah, let's do it!"

* * *

Dusk was fast approaching the Hidden Leaf Village, but that didn't stop Konohamaru.

"Alright, Konohamaru," Kurama commanded. "Hit me with all you've got!"

Konohamaru formed his hands in the ram seal and exclaimed, "Sexy Jutsu!"

Where Konohamaru once stood, a brunette woman took his place. She was naked and had wisps of smoke covering her sizable assets. She then transformed back to normal.

"Well done, Konohamaru! I knew you could do it." Konohamaru wanted to reply, but was interrupted by his teacher.

"Honourable Grandson, I've finally found you," Ebisu called out.

"I see that you didn't heed my advice when I told you to not hang out with this brat."

"Don't diss Naruto-sensei! He taught me a great new jutsu." A sly grin appeared on Konohamaru's face. "Wanna see it?"

Ebisu crossed his arms in response. "Show me this fantastic new jutsu, then."

"Sexy Jutsu!" Konohamaru stood in front of Ebisu, naked and female. "How does it look, Ebisu?"

"Such a foolish jutsu. I see that your time has been wasted." While Ebisu was distracted by Konohamaru, Kurama used the Sexy Jutsu and snuck behind Ebisu, then tapped him on the shoulder when she was ready.

"Come on, Ebisu," Kurama crooned. "Don't you like this jutsu?"

"No I do not, _boy_," Ebisu spat.

_I can feel the nervousness rolling off of him. It's time to put him in his place._ "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Such a technique might have been enough to defeat Mizuki, but you'll find that as a Special Jōnin, I am far superior."

When Ebisu stopped speaking, he found himself surrounded by clones of Kurama's Sexy Jutsu. "How do you like my Harem Jutsu, Ebisu?"

The amount of clones grabbing Ebisu's body or calling out his name was too much for him to handle, making him faint from sheer sensory overload. Both Kurama and Konohamaru, who was still in the transformation, exchanged a high-five, which had interesting effects on their bodies.

After the duo reverted back to normal and Kurama dispelled his clones, Konohamaru had something to say. "Thanks for the technique, Naruto-sensei! Now I can beat my grandpa and finally become Hokage – that way, I'll get the acknowledgment I want!"

"You can't beat the Hokage that way, kid."

"Huh? This _was _the jutsu you used to knockout Grandpa Hokage, right?"

"Yeah, but that's not how it works. There are no shortcuts on the Road to Hokage – there are no shortcuts to anything. When you want something, you do everything you can to get it. No remorse, no regrets, just do your best. That's my ninja way."

"And that'll be my ninja way, too!"

Kurama looked up to see the sun set over the village. "Guess I'll see you around, Konohamaru. I have to go to bed now." _I haven't slept since the day before yesterday. I also have to test out my capacity for sensing negative emotions, thanks to Ebisu "helping" me discover this ability. Ugh, now I have to be _grateful_ for Ebisu being such an insufferable jerk – he's almost as bad as I am._

* * *

When Kurama returned to his apartment, he reflected on the past two days' events. While he showed an unusually high amount of affection, happiness and all around goodness, with the exception of Konohamaru, they were all for people who already acknowledged him. Even Konohamaru acknowledged him and Kurama had come to respect Konohamaru's drive to succeed.

_It makes me think that if every villager I met was like Konohamaru, I might not hate this village so much. It doesn't matter ultimately – I'm going to be free and there is no one who can stop me from doing so, so the village can hate me for all I care._

Unknown to Kurama, a blonde boy who looked a lot like him smirked from where he was watching the Nine-Tailed Fox. _We'll see about that, Kurama. I'll make sure that you stay in control. _


	4. Opinions

Chapter 3: Opinions

A week had passed since Kurama trained Konohamaru. He had done many things during that week, including being able to properly sense negative emotions from others at will, as well as buy new groceries and obtain both a standard Genin weapons set and books on ninja theory.

He got out of bed and put on his orange tracksuit, keeping the jacket unzipped to show his new shirt, which was black with an orange spiral in the centre. After taking a shower and brushing his teeth, he prepared and ate his breakfast – unexpired milk and a new, healthier variation of ramen from Ichiraku Ramen, then equipped himself with his weapons set.

Before putting on his forehead protector, Kurama created three Shadow Clones, which were instructed to read the newly-bought books. Finally, Kurama put on the forehead protector given to him by Iruka, ready to embrace his role as a ninja to the full extent of his abilities. _At least for as long as it's necessary_, Kurama thought.

* * *

Kurama was running towards the Academy where team assignments would take place. He passed by many shocked villagers, sparing no time to look at their faces, being fully capable of sensing the surprise felt from them. He came into contact with someone trying (and failing) to hide – Konohamaru. While he might have humoured him at any other time, he left a Shadow Clone to deal with the 'Honourable Grandson', since he wanted to get to the Academy early. _I will _never_ get used to thinking of Konohamaru as the 'Honourable Grandson'_.

* * *

Kurama finally arrived at the Academy. As he did, he gained the memories of the Shadow Clone he left with Konohamaru. _Looks like I dealt with him a bit more harshly than I would have preferred. Oh well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there._

Kurama entered the Academy and entered his (former) classroom. Once inside, he walked to the front row of desks, but was interrupted by one of his former classmates.

"Hey, Naruto, why are you here? You have to graduate if want to be assigned to a Genin team."

Shikamaru's tone was laced with curiosity and slight surprise, but Kurama wouldn't indulge the boy. "Since when do you care about what happens to me, Shikamaru?" Kurama pointed at his headband, "I'm a Genin now and don't bother asking how I became one." Kurama continued his walk, leaving Shikamaru, who had a wide-eyed expression (which translated to Shikamaru's eyes being slightly enlarged).

_I just wanted to know how Naruto passed, since it had to have been for a special reason, but instead, he blows me off. Man, Naruto's being even more of a drag than usual._

Once Kurama got to the front row of desks, he turned around, looking at who already arrived. Besides Shikamaru, there weren't too many ex-students that had arrived yet, but at the second row from the top, on the far right, was Sasuke Uchiha.

_I have to know if he has the Sharingan._ Further thoughts on how he was controlled had led to one common source – the Sharingan. _Since he's one of the four who has the potential to use the Sharingan, I need to make sure._

Kurama stalked over to Sasuke. "Sasuke."

Sasuke, who was busy gazing out the window, looked over to find Kurama sitting next to him. "What is it?" Sasuke also noticed Naruto's forehead protector, but didn't care enough to ask.

"Do you have the Sharingan?" Kurama could feel a multitude of emotions flowing from Sasuke, including shock and most surprisingly, shame.

"What's it to you?"

"Just curious is all."

"Hn."

"Fine by me." Kurama knew better than to pester Sasuke (more for Sasuke's protection than his), so he left the issue for another time.

* * *

More students filled the room, surprised at Naruto being there. However, it was the two kunoichi-to-be who had just entered who displayed the most surprise. One of them, Sakura Haruno, went over to Naruto.

_It's Sakura! ...That must have been an impulsive thought. _"Can I help you, Saku-"

Sakura, who was focused on Sasuke, had little tolerance for Naruto. "Move out of the way and let me sit next to Sasuke!"

_Why did I have a crush on this girl? Maybe it was her hair. _"I think that you should start with 'please' and with an indoor voice," he said with a grin.

Sakura, frustrated by Kurama's attitude, tried to force him out of the chair, but her outstretched fist was caught by Kurama, who then pinned her on the table, one hand on her wrist, the other grabbing her throat.

_I could rip out her throat with ease. Just extend my fingernails and pull backwards after digging into her flesh. However, she's scared enough and I would only be stabbing myself in the foot if I killed the girl._ Kurama released her from his grip. "Don't try that again, or you might not be so lucky next time."

Kurama stood up and walked to the front of the classroom (and leaving a stupefied Sakura) where he sat down in one of the desks in the front row. While he was busy walking, he listened to the aspiring ninja's reactions to his "outburst".

"Why's Naruto in such a bad mood?"

"Didn't he have a crush on you or something, Sakura?"

"I heard that he did something similar to this one grocer."

"Nah, this wasn't as bad as _that_."

"He must have gotten over his crush if he could do something like that."

"Quit talking about Naruto like he's not in the room and sit down," Iruka ordered, appearing suddenly in the front of the room.

The ninja-to-be who weren't sitting rushed to any available seats. Iruka began his speech.

"To all of you here that have graduated, congratulations. Even though you may have become Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, your journeys into ninja life and adulthood have only begun. As Genin, you will be divided into three-man squads and be led by a Jōnin-sensei. You are expected to follow the instructions of your sensei to the letter as you learn and grow as ninja and people.

"I will now begin announcing who will be placed in what team. Team One..."

_As long as I'm not with that backstabber Hibachi, I couldn't care less who my teammates are._ After the whole ordeal with Mizuki, Kurama's opinion of backstabbers and betrayers dropped to an all-time low.

Each and every aspiring Genin who was called out by Iruka reacted in a manner befitting their character. "Now, for Team Seven," Iruka said. "Naruto Uzumaki. Sakura Haruno," Sakura groaned in disappointment, but Kurama could sense a tiny bit of fear. "And Sasuke Uchiha." Only for Sakura's disappointment to disappear when she cheered in strained excitement; Ino wailed in disappointment. _Sakura's an interesting one. Her emotions fluctuate wildly, as if she's trying to keep up appearances. I wonder..._

"Team Eight consists of Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame." Kurama looked over to each member of Team Eight, but when he caught Hinata looking at him, the girl looked away, a tiny blush appearing on her face. _She couldn't... like me, could she?_

"...Team Ten's members are: Chōji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara." Ino was visibly disappointed, but Chōji seemed content with the results of his team placement.

"We'll break for lunch, but in an hour, your Jōnin-sensei will be here to collect you, so don't be late!"

* * *

Kurama was walking around the outskirts of the Academy. He was wondering about his teammates, Sakura and Sasuke. His relationship with Sasuke would be moderately easy to fix – just establish that he was the strongest and make sure that Sasuke knew _why_. As for Sakura...

"Naruto!" _Speak of the devil_.

"What is it, Sakura?"

Sakura tried to hit Kurama, but Kurama replaced himself with a log, making Sakura wince in pain from hitting the log. "What's your problem? You never got angry at me before. What made you change?"

"I just don't want to be abused any longer. It hurts, you know."

"Well, if you weren't an orphan, then maybe you wouldn't have been abused in the first place. I mean, you have nobody to teach you right from wrong, which is why you're so annoying and why you prank – no rules, no consequences, right?"

Kurama's grin disappeared. "So what you're saying is, is that the reason why everybody in this village hates me is because I don't have parents."

Sakura hesitated before continuing. "Well... I don't know."

"Right, you don't. I did everything I did because I wanted to be acknowledged, seen. I had no parents to acknowledge me, no one to make me feel better when I was down. If I had even _one_ parent, I wouldn't have done half the things I did. I would have felt like I was worth something."

Sakura had the decency to look ashamed. "But... I didn't know you had it so bad."

"Because you were too busy wasting time with Sasuke, right? I would have been your friend – I just thought that asking you on a date was the way to go about it."

"Well, it wasn't." Sakura took a moment to think about her conversation with Naruto, being more affected by his words than she thought. _I thought Naruto was an idiotic, annoying, troublemaking, incompetent kid with no talent and a huge jealous streak. Now... maybe he might not be so bad after all._

"Naruto, I'm... sorry for the way I treated you. Since we're going to be teammates, we should try to at least be on amicable terms."

_Amicable... means good, right? _"Yeah, you're right; I'm sorry for not realizing that you didn't want to date me in the first place. Let me give you some advice, though: try to see things from the other person's perspective, maybe then you won't be so insensitive."

Kurama walked off, leaving an angered Sakura. _Naruto! What's wrong with that guy, thinking that's he's so good that he can give me advice - but then again, the advice itself isn't so... bad and he didn't refuse my apology._ Sakura smiled slightly, looking forward to being on a team with Naruto for the first time. _I'll just have to play it by ear, I guess._

* * *

An hour had passed since Kurama and Sakura had their conversation and they both went back to their classroom, where there were many new faces inside. After everybody entered the classroom, Iruka began speaking.

"Alright, now that everyone has returned, I can now begin assigning Jōnin to take their teams with them. Team One, your Jōnin-sensei is..."

Kurama looked across the room to see who his potential Jōnin-sensei might be. He wasn't too knowledgeable on who was who, but he knew that the Jōnin who hid their emotions the best would be the one that would be the most potentially-dangerous, and the one who was doing that the best was a bearded Jōnin with spiky hair. _He looks familiar, but I can't exactly place where I've seen him_.

"Team Eight, your Jōnin-sensei is Kurenai Yūhi." A woman with long, dark hair and red eyes not unlike the Sharingan stepped forward and motioned Kiba, Hinata and Shino to follow her. Kurama could feel that Kurenai was slightly nervous, but maybe that was because she was new to the Jōnin-sensei experience. _Or maybe she's not so good at hiding her emotions._

"Team Ten, your Jōnin-sensei is Asuma Sarutobi." The bearded man from earlier titled his head towards the door – Team Ten followed in suit. _Sarutobi... Maybe's he's related to Old Man Hokage – that explains the familiarity_. Asuma wasn't nervous at all, which either spoke of his level of confidence for his team, or maybe it was just the way he was.

"Iruka-sensei, you haven't said who our sensei was," Sakura said.

"Oh, right," Iruka said sheepishly. "Your Jōnin-sensei is Kakashi Hatake, but he isn't here yet, which was why I didn't call out your team."

_What sort of sensei would come late to his own team assignment_, Kurama and Sakura thought.

"Hopefully he comes soon, for your sake."

* * *

Three hours later, Kurama was at his wits end. Neither Sasuke or Sakura, who had regressed slightly since their conversation about four hours beforehand were willing to talk and the Shadow Clone he had sent to fetch a book to pass the time had dispelled prematurely. He tried again twice more, but the clones met the same fate as the first one.

"Hey, Naruto, I thought that you couldn't do the Clone Jutsu," Sakura inquired after seeing Naruto form a Shadow Clone for the third time.

"These are Shadow Clones. Much better than the ordinary clone and can be used in a variety of ways."

_More surprises from the Dead Last_. _How have you progressed so quickly, Naruto_? Sasuke was familiar with the Shadow Clone Jutsu, having seen Ita-, That Man use it on occasion. How Naruto was capable of using it with such ease was surprising, since That Man would have been slightly winded after forming one clone, yet Naruto didn't look any worse for wear after forming three.

Sasuke was pulled out of his reverie when someone opened the door. The man who entered was wearing the Hidden Leaf Chūnin outfit, with his forehead protector slanted over his left eye. His most noticeable features were his gravity-defying silver hair and his mask.

"I'm Kakashi Hatake. You're Team Seven. Meet me on the roof in five minutes and don't be late."


	5. Teamwork

Chapter 5: Teamwork

The newly formed Team Seven made it to the roof, where Kakashi was waiting for them.

"Now that you're here, it's time to for you to introduce yourselves to me. Your name, what you like, what you don't like, dreams for the future, hobbies, that sort of thing."

Sakura raised her voice. "Can you give us a demonstration, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Sure. I already gave you my name. I like some things, I dislike other things. My dream last night was interesting, but not interesting enough to tell you and as for my hobbies... you'll find out what they are in due time." _If you're worthy, that is._

_That wasn't helpful at all! _Sakura thought.

"Alright then, now that I've introduced myself, you do the same. Let's start with you, Pinky."

"My name is Sakura Haruno. I like..." Sakura looked at Sasuke, then blushed. "...as well as knowledge and dumplings. I dislike..." Sakura thought about saying that she disliked Kurama, but after remembering what happened so far today, she changed her mind. "...anything spicy and people who insult me because of my forehead. My hobbies are reading and playing trivia games and my dream is to be a strong kunoichi like my mother once was, as well as marry a strong man." Sakura looked at Sasuke again, blushing even more.

_Her crush on the Uchiha could be a hindrance, but she has potential._ "Now you, Blondie."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like ramen, the colour orange and the wind. I don't like traitors or judgemental people. My hobbies are eating ramen, training and gardening. My dream is to be free."

"Huh?" Sakura blurted out. "Didn't you want to be Hokage? It was all you could talk about back in the Academy."

"What's the point of being Hokage if the entire village hates your guts?" Kurama spat out.

_Naruto's holding a lot of inner hatred, but fortunately, he's still young. Friends and a good sensei can help suppress that aspect of him._ "Okay Naruto, calm down. We'll let your other teammate introduce himself."

Feeling a bit inspired to share more about himself to his new team, Sasuke began. "Sasuke Uchiha. I like tomatoes and training. I dislike a lot of things, including weak people. My hobbies are training and contemplation. My dream... no, my _ambition_ is to restore my clan after killing a certain someone."

_He wants to kill his brother. I can see why. Maybe he can get his teammates to help him if he doesn't get over his obsession for revenge_.

"Thanks for telling me a bit about yourselves. I hope to get to know you better, but we'll only get to do that if you pass my test."

Kurama was slightly surprised and expressed it, "What test?"

Kakashi smiled (seemingly), "The test to weed out the weak Genin from the strong ones. It's a survival/combat test. Want to know something cool?"

"Yes?" Kurama asked, drawing out his question.

"If you fail, you'll be stuck in the Academy for another year. In fact, this test has a sixty-six percent fail rate." _Among the general group of Genin. With me, it might as well be automatic failure._

"We worked so hard to become Genin and now you're telling us that our work would be wasted?" Indignation laced Sakura's voice as she expressed her opinion on the test.

"It won't be if you're truly ready to become a Genin. The life of a ninja is one of bloodshed and hard times, so if you're not ready, then I _will_ send you back to the Academy."

"When's the test?" Sasuke asked, speaking for the first time since giving his introduction.

"Tomorrow at five sharp, at the Third Training Ground. Oh yeah, don't eat anything tomorrow, since we're doing a survival test – and you wouldn't want to vomit out your innards because you were overwhelmed by the test.

"See you then." Kakashi vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

The next day, Kurama arrived at the Third Training Ground, where he found Sasuke and Sakura waiting for him.

"Did Kakashi come yet?"

Sakura spoke up, "No. I came here at five sharp, like he said and it's been ten minutes since then."

"Guess we'll have to wait."

* * *

About two hours had passed since then and Kurama was getting fed up with Kakashi's antics. _If this is how it's going to be, I'd rather fail the test then be stuck with such an incompetent sensei._

"I'm going to get some food. Do you guys want anything?"

"Didn't you hear what Kakashi-sensei said? We're not supposed to eat before the test," Sakura stated.

"Who knows when Kakashi is going to come? I'll get the food and eat it and Kakashi will be none the wiser."

"Suit yourself," Sasuke said.

Kurama summoned three Shadow Clones and transformed two of them – he didn't want to deal with those wastes of skin as himself (which he found was the reason why he was unable to get those books he wanted from the library the day before) – and sent them to get ramen, dumplings and fresh tomatoes.

* * *

Kurama was feasting on his cup of chicken ramen as Sasuke and Sakura looked on hungrily.

"Naruto, you sent three Shadow Clones out. Wouldn't that be a waste of chakra if you only got ramen for yourself?"

"Well, I didn't only get ramen, Sakura. I got you and Sasuke something as well."

In the bag he had placed his ramen in, he took out a dango skewer and a pair of tomatoes. "Here you go. Eat up before Hatake-sensei arrives." Sasuke took the tomatoes, but Sakura looked apprehensive.

"I don't know, Naruto. Kakashi-sensei said not to eat."

"Fine then, I'll just eat this skewer by myself then." Just as Kurama was about to place the skewer in his mouth, Sakura grabbed it and gobbled the dango up in quick succession.

"What? I didn't have anything to eat yesterday and dango is almost like the dumplings that I covet."

* * *

After Kurama had a Shadow Clone dispose of the leftovers, Team Seven waited in companionable silence for their sensei-to-be, who arrived with an alarm clock and two boxed lunches placed under his armpit and a pair of bells in the other. The alarm clock read "9:00". "Good morning!"

"You're late!" Sakura yelled out.

"I apologize for that, I saw a black cat and had to avoid a series of increasingly contrived 'bad-luck' traps as I went the other way."

_Wha...? _Team Seven thought simultaneously.

"Anyway, now that I'm here, I'll explain the test to you. You have to grab these bells from me before twelve, or else you have to go without lunch."

"The person who I think put in the least amount of effort to get a bell will be tied to one of the posts over there," Kakashi pointed to three posts a fair distance away from where they were. "If you're tied to the post, your chances of returning to the Academy will increase by quite a bit."

"But there are two bells," Sasuke noted. "And three of us."

"That's something for you guys to figure out on your own. Feel free to attack me with everything you've got. Unless you come at me with the intention to kill, then you won't stand a chance to get a bell from me and will fail." Kakashi didn't fail to notice the devious grin forming on Kurama's face.

"Ready?" Team Seven nodded. Kakashi placed the alarm clock on one of the posts, set it for noon and returned. It took him three seconds to do it. "Begin!"

Sakura and Sasuke rushed into the trees while Kurama stayed in the clearing. Kakashi pulled out an orange book. "Whenever you're ready, come at me, Naruto."

_Icha Icha, affectionately known as the "Make-Out" series. Hatake-sensei's a perverted one_. A demented leer formed over Kurama's face as he formed a plan. He summoned two Shadow Clones and sent them to Sakura and Sasuke so that they could learn about his plan.

After the clones dispelled as they were supposed to, Kurama observed Kakashi. _Hatake-sensei's oozing lust. He's ripe for the taking_. Kurama formed the ram seal.

A poof of smoke later, Kurama stood in his Sexy Jutsu transformation. "Kakashi-sensei," Kurama sang, "why don't you drop that book and play with me. I'll make all your wildest fantasies come true."

Kakashi, who was absorbed in his novel, heard a beautiful voice and nearly dropped his book. The woman who was walking towards him was completely naked, her movements doing interesting things to her body.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei, what that book can do is _nothing_ compared to what I can do for _you_."

Kakashi was entranced by the woman's words. His shinobi mind was screaming at him, telling him that it was only a transformed Naruto, but his libido levels were high due to his book, which caused him to give in to Naruto's words.

Kurama stood next to Kakashi, knocking Kakashi's copy of Icha Icha away as she pressed herself against Kakashi. One of her hands was trailing along Kakashi's back as the other reached for the bells on Kakashi's hip.

Kakashi was impressed by Naruto's ability to manipulate him by using his sex drive against him, but willed himself in order to stop Naruto's charms from working on him. He grabbed Naruto's hand by her wrist and pushed her back.

"Playing hard-to-get, Kakashi-sensei?"

"First lesson, Naruto: taijutsu – the art of hand-to-hand combat." Kakashi blurred in front of Kurama and punched her in the gut, which dispelled her transformation. However, Kurama smiled, grabbing his arm and holding on tightly.

"Now, Sasuke!"

* * *

Sasuke was initially unimpressed by Naruto's plan and while he thought that it wouldn't work, he didn't express his misgivings. However, after he saw Naruto actually distracting Kakashi and saw him (or her) nearly grab the bells, his respect for Naruto rose – slightly, that is. He rushed to his position in case Naruto failed, which he (she, whatever) did.

"Now, Sasuke!"

Performing the handseals, he shouted, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" A large fireball appeared at the end of a chakra-sustained flamethrower, engulfing Kakashi and Naruto. After the flames subsided, Sasuke saw a burnt log. _Naruto'll be alright, won't he?_ Sasuke snorted. _One thing Naruto does is never give up, even if he is the Dead Last._

* * *

Sakura was disgusted by Naruto's plan. _Just when I thought that Naruto might be cool, he does something so... ugh! Pervert!_

Nevertheless, Sakura kept Naruto's plan in mind in case it _did _work and stood by in her position. After Sasuke used his Fireball Jutsu, Sakura searched for Kakashi-sensei and threw the kunai Naruto gave her when she found him.

"_Why's this kunai so special?_"

"_You'll see._"

True to Naruto's word, the kunai transformed into Naruto just before the kunai flew past Kakashi, his outstretched hand grabbing for the bells. Kakashi stepped to the side and gave Naruto an axe kick, slamming him on the ground.

_Ouch! Hopefully Naruto will be okay._

* * *

Kurama's plan was going well. The Shadow Clone (that he replaced himself with during Sasuke's Fireball jutsu, which was formed just before he used the Sexy Jutsu) getting burned was an unpleasant experience and the other Shadow Clone getting slammed into the ground wasn't much better, but everything was going to plan.

_I don't want Hatake-sensei to get suspicious about me being able to use my demonic chakra, since explaining it would be too much of a hassle._ Kurama formed more Shadow Clones and rushed with them towards Kakashi. _Time for a hands-on approach._

"Come back for more, Naruto? Or are you just going to hide behind your clones like a coward?"

_Damn scarecrow! I'm going to get you!_ Kurama still had trouble controlling his immense pride. Even having to deal with others and act like he would before regaining his memories was a lesson in patience. _I'll have to go all out, but I won't use my chakra against him – not yet._

Kurama stopped just before reaching Kakashi and took out a smoke bomb, throwing it onto the ground. The smokescreen obscured Kakashi's vision, which gave him the opportunity to give his surprisingly-compliant teammates some more ideas about how to get the bells. _I may not play well with others, but some things require you to swallow your pride._

Sakura came out of her hiding place while the smokescreen was out, forming seven (inferior) clones, which were designed to run interference (while she stayed back). Sasuke followed, forming handseals to the Fireball Jutsu.

_Let's try something out. _Kurama didn't have an opportunity to try out his Chakra Transfer technique yet, but this was a good opportunity to test out said technique's limits.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough," Kakashi called out. Just before the smoke dispelled due to the rather weak winds caused by the jutsu (maybe Kakashi was holding back, Kurama thought), Kurama came behind Sasuke and pushed demonic chakra into his body, while his and Sakura's clones attacked Kakashi.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

The resulting fireball was far bigger and far more potent than Sasuke could ever do before. The fireball raced towards Kakashi, who was visibly surprised. Kurama reversed the Chakra Transfer technique, leaving Sasuke winded, but still capable of fighting. _I may have to work on refining the transfer reversal._

The fireball dissipated, with nothing but burnt grass and dirt remaining; the memories of the fireball jutsu returning in full force. Thinking that they were in the clear, both Kurama and Sasuke were surprised when two arms appeared from under Kurama's legs, pulling him down. Only his head was kept above level thanks to Kakashi's technique. Kakashi rose out of the earth, standing in front of Kurama. "Second lesson: ninjutsu. Care to explain how Sasuke was capable of pulling off such a powerful Fireball, Naruto?"

Kurama remained silent and looked at Sasuke, nodding slightly. "Yes, I will, Kakashi-sensei. I went behind Sasuke..." Sasuke got the message and snuck behind Kakashi. "Grabbed him and pushed some chakra into him." Sasuke grabbed the bells and pushed Kakashi. "Not like that, Sasuke!"

"Hn."

"Sakura! Come out, we got the bells!" Sakura, who managed to escape the gigantic fireball, came out and ran to her teammates, then started giggling when she saw Naruto.

"Naruto, you look so..." Sakura laughed harder.

"Whatever. I'll get out of this soon enough, so laugh it up while you still can."

* * *

After Kakashi allowed Sakura and Sasuke to dig up Kurama, he began. "Sasuke. Now that you have the bells, what will you do with them?"

"... Naruto, take a bell."

"Why?"

"Your plan wasn't that bad and it was the reason why we were able to get the bells."

Kakashi pressed Sasuke, "And the other bell?"

Kurama interrupted Sasuke before he could answer. "Sakura, take my bell."

"Why? You deserve it the most."

"I just made the plan. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to distract Hatake-sensei while Sasuke prepared the fireball. If Sasuke didn't grab the bells, then my efforts would have been for nothing and we would have failed."

"I can't. You take it."

Sasuke spoke up. "Sakura, take the bell. I'll give Naruto mine, since all I did was fling fireballs. You created a diversion and threw Naruto's Shadow Clone to Kakashi, giving him an opportunity to get the bells."

_Impressive. They understood the point of the test. _"Congratulations, Team Seven. You pass."

"Why?" Kurama asked, saying what was on his teammates' minds.

"My test was to see if you could work together to try and get the bells. No matter how skilled, a green Genin wouldn't have been able to defeat a Jōnin in battle. It would require you to join forces to stand a chance of passing the test.

"While you might have been inspired to work on your own at the expense of your teammates, it wouldn't have worked out for you, due to your lack of skill. When you three worked together as a team, you showed me that you understood the concept of teamwork.

"Teamwork is the lifeblood of ninja affiliated to a hidden village. Even a team with weak or average members, but perfect chemistry and teamwork can overcome a team of geniuses that cannot work together.

"Divided you fall, but united we stand."

Kakashi motioned his new team to follow him to the Memorial Stone, where the boxed lunches lay on the stone's pedestal. "Do you know what this is?"

Sakura answered. "This is the Memorial Stone."

"Correct. The Memorial Stone was made to honour heroes who gave their lives for the sake of the village. Nearly all of my precious people are on this stone."

While Kakashi was speaking, Kurama looked for a certain name. He found it.

"Minato Namikaze," Kurama whispered out.

_Does he know?_ "What was that, Naruto?"

"Nothing, just wondering about him is all."

"He was my sensei, so if you want, I can tell you a story about him sometime."

Kurama nodded in acknowledgement, while Sakura stared wide-eyed, amazed that Kakashi was the student of the Fourth Hokage. Sasuke was just as amazed as Sakura, but hid it much better.

Kakashi picked up the lunches and handed them to his team. "Here you go. Since you're the first team to pass my test, I'll expect you to meet here tomorrow, where we will begin our first day as Team Seven."

Kakashi eye-smiled, then vanished in a swirl of leaves. _This will definitely be interesting, that's for sure._


	6. Progress

Chapter 5: Progress

"Naruto." Sasuke called out.

Kurama looked up to see Sasuke, hands tucked in his pockets, leaning against a tree. "What is it?"

"What was the technique you used to make my fireball bigger?"

"Weren't you there when I explained the technique to Hatake-sensei?"

"Yes, but I want to know where you developed a technique like that. I never felt so... powerful."

Kurama stood up and walked away from the Memorial Stone, towards Sasuke. "Do you have the Sharingan?"

"Why are you so interested in that all of a sudden?" Sasuke asked.

"Like I said the other day, I just want to know if you have it."

Sasuke mumbled something, but Kurama didn't hear him. "Speak up! What did you say?"

"I don't have the Sharingan, okay?" Sasuke shouted in an annoyed tone.

_Good. He's not a threat, not yet that is. _"Fine, there's nothing to be ashamed about not having it, you know."

"Yes, there is!" That feeling of shame was pulsing from Sasuke, far stronger than Kurama had ever felt it come from him.

"Explain."

"...Never mind, it's not that important."

"Alright." Kurama walked back to the Memorial Stone and sat down on the pedestal. _He'll have to tell me sometime. Maybe I can tempt him with the Chakra Transfer Technique. _

* * *

Sakura came to the Memorial Stone, winded from running for so long. She was afraid that she was going to be late, but when she saw her teammates, but not Kakashi-sensei, she was relieved to know that she wasn't late to her first team meeting.

"Hey Naruto... Sasuke."

Kurama waved at her while Sasuke looked at her and nodded.

"When did you guys get here?"

"I came about ten minutes after Sasuke did."

Sakura looked around, trying to find Kakashi-sensei. "So... Kakashi-sensei hasn't come yet?"

"Nope. He's late. Again."

"Looks like we'll have to wait. Again." Sakura plopped down on the ground, tired and annoyed at her new sensei's tardiness.

* * *

Kakashi arrived about ten minutes after Sakura. _Next time, we're meeting somewhere else. How can I reminisce if my team waits _here?

"Hello, my cute little Genin."

"You're late!" Sakura shouted out.

"But not as late as the last couple of times," Kurama added. Sasuke snorted in agreement, then approached his team.

"I don't really have an excuse as to why I'm late, so we'll begin with some light exercise before we do skill assessment."

"Why do you need to assess our skills, Kakashi-sensei?"

"That's for me to know and for you to figure out. Now, let's get started."

* * *

After stretching and a lot of jogging, Team Seven returned to the three training posts, where Kakashi was waiting for them. Sakura was panting heavily, while Sasuke and Kurama were only lightly affected by the exercise.

"Now that you've warmed up, it's time for you to spar against me."

"You call that light exercise?" Sakura breathed out.

"Yes, that _was_ pretty light. Since you seem to be tired, you can sit out the first round of sparring."

Sakura sat down wordlessly, a look of appreciation clear on her face.

"Okay. Naruto, it's time for me to see if you actually deserve your ranking as the Academy's worst student."

Kurama approached Kakashi while Sasuke stayed back. _Besides that technique and his Shadow Clones, Naruto shouldn't have gotten so strong in just a week, so let's see how the 'Dead Last' does._

"Ah yes, Naruto, before we begin, this is a taijutsu-only battle."

_Damn, no Shadow Clones._ "Let me show you how awesome my taijutsu really is!"

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Whenever you're ready, you can begin."

Kurama charged at Kakashi, then leapt and launched a haymaker. Kakashi side-stepped the punch, only for Kurama to place his hands on the ground and kick backwards towards Kakashi, who stepped backwards and aimed a side thrust kick at Kurama, who used his momentum from the kick to get back up. Kurama staggered up after getting hit and dashed to Kakashi, attempting a leg sweep, which Kakashi avoided by springing up.

After hitting the ground, Kakashi gave Kurama a haymaker, which caused Kurama to fall to the ground. "Your fighting style is too impulsive. You focus more on hitting your opponent then anticipating his or her attacks then reacting accordingly. You need to learn how to anticipate your opponent's movements." Kurama got up, spitting at the ground.

"Let's continue, I'm not through with you yet!"

As Kurama and Kakashi continued to spar, Kurama's attacks slowly became more focused while keeping his signature unpredictability. Kakashi began to take the fight more seriously as a result, noting Kurama's ingenuity - Kurama would bait him into one attack, then follow up with an attack from a different angle. When Kakashi was satisfied with the amount of data he collected on Kurama, he stopped him.

"That's enough for now, Naruto. You did alright, better than I would have expected, since I heard you were the 'Dead Last'."

Kurama's brow furrowed at the 'Dead Last' comment. "Taijutsu was the thing I was best at, but I do need refinement. Can you help me out with that, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I'll make sure that you improve, Naruto," Kakashi ruffled Kurama's hair. Kurama had a dazed, yet happy expression on his face. _Almost as good as getting my ears scratched._

"Alright, Sasuke, you're up."

* * *

After Kakashi sparred with both Sasuke and Sakura, he let his team take a breather while he thought about their skills in Taijutsu.

Sasuke's Taijutsu was quite good, for a Genin. While he was aggressive, his attacks were controlled, his reflexes were excellent and he was fast. _I'll have to get him to unlock the Sharingan, if he doesn't have it already, then I'll show him how to effectively use it._

Sakura's Taijutsu was textbook, rigid. Unlike Naruto, who's unpredictability overcame his brawler style and Sasuke's reflexive, intercepting style, Sakura's Taijutsu was mediocre, but when aggravated, her punches and kicks became much harder. _If I can get her to consciously fight like that, she'll be a force to be reckoned with._

"Team, front and center." All three of them lounged towards Kakashi, still feeling battered from their previous spar.

"You did well and I've gotten a basic idea of where you can improve with regards to Taijutsu. Naruto, you need to improve your technique. Being unpredictable is good, but you have to be able to put in the appropriate amount of force behind your attacks, so that you don't give your opponent an opportunity to counter. You also have to leave as few openings as possible when fighting, since against even a mediocre fighter, the amount of openings you made would have been exploited ruthlessly.

"Sakura, you need to be craft your own style of fighting. If you met an opponent who knew the Academy Taijutsu style, you would have been defeated quickly. I also noticed that as the fight went on and you got angrier, your strength increased dramatically."

"Really?" _I knew I was good, but not _that _good._

Before Kakashi could continue, Naruto spoke up. "Didn't you notice how hard you were hitting when you attacked me back at the Academy?"

Sakura blushed in embarrassment, "I never did. I was never angry at Taijutsu practice and I never noticed when I hit you – it was just impulse."

Kakashi filed away Sakura's previous abuse towards Naruto for future reference. "Well, it's something to consider, Sakura, so we'll see how you can turn your inner strength into something useful."

Kakashi moved on to Sasuke. "Sasuke, I don't really have any complaints with your technique. You can use your speed to get around your opponent faster, or increase your strength, but those are things that can be solved with fitness training." Sasuke was pleased with Kakashi's assessment of his skills, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"Tomorrow, we won't be meeting here. Instead we'll be meeting at the bridge over the river, the one with the three torii."

"Why not?" Sasuke asked.

"It's more convenient." _For me, that is_.

Before Sasuke could protest, Kakashi turned to Naruto. "By the way, Naruto, Lord Hokage instructed me to tell you to go to his office after team training."

"Why?"

"He just told me to tell you to go there. Do you have a problem with that? I used to be in ANBU, so I could get someone to escort you there."

Naruto cringed, remembering the uncomfortable feeling of being escorted by ANBU. "No thanks."

"Well, I think we've done enough training, don't you? I have something to do, so I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Kurama entered the Hokage's office. The Hokage was thinking deeply and nearly didn't notice Kurama enter, but years of being the Hokage helped his situational awareness, despite his advanced age.

"I'm glad that you could join me, Naruto. Have a seat."

After Kurama took a seat, the Hokage started speaking. "Naruto, how do you like your team and sensei so far?"

"They're alright. I thought that I would have had a harder time dealing with both of them, since they weren't the kindest people to me, but they were convinced when I made the plan to pass Kakashi-sensei's test. As for Kakashi-sensei, he's seems to be a decent person, but he's always late."

_Old habits die hard._ "That's good. Kakashi has told me about a rather interesting technique you performed yesterday."

"Was it the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

"No, no. Kakashi told me how you helped Sasuke create a fireball that was many times larger than what his reported limit was supposed to be."

_At least he didn't ask me about my training with my chakra cloak._ Kurama took great efforts to limit the amount of killing intent exuded by his chakra, since it would only arouse more suspicion to his true identity.

"I was able to pump some of my chakra into Sasuke, which was used in the Fireball Jutsu."

"You were able to use an advanced Chakra Transfer technique consciously? That's rather impressive, Naruto." The Hokage's expression turned grim. "Have you spoken with the Nine-Tailed Fox in order to gain such a technique?"

Kurama was taken aback by the Hokage's leaps of logic. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"There have been reports of Hidden Cloud's jinchūriki being capable of performing such a technique with the assistance of his Tailed Beast. It would be safe to assume that the Nine-Tailed Fox would be capable of doing something similar."

"In that case, then I have." _Might as well reveal some additional information about my training._ "I've also been training in using the Fox's chakra. The Fox has been... co-operative, so far." Kurama smiled afterwards.

"I hope that you're not letting the Fox influence you."

"I'm not." _I _am _the Fox, so I can't be influenced by it, since influence is external. _Kurama did feel influenced by _something_, but every time he would delve into his mindscape, he would only see the seal where the majority of his powers were being kept and a representation of his body. _It's as if whoever's influencing me wants to stay hidden._

"Well in that case, I'll want to monitor your progress while you train in using the Fox's power. We'll have a meeting every second week to discuss your progress. Does that sound okay?"

"What about missions?"

"If it's a mission that lasts for more than two weeks, then the meeting will take place after your debriefing."

_An out to practice using my chakra all I want. I have to take this opportunity; it would be a waste not to do so!_ "That sounds good. Thanks, Old Man Hokage!"

"It's my pleasure, Naruto. In fact, I have to thank you. Konohamaru has been training much harder and when I asked him about it, he said that he was inspired by 'Naruto-sensei'," the Hokage said, chuckling after mentioning his grandson's antics.

"He's a good kid and I felt some sort of... relation to him."

"Is that so? Well, it looks like both you and Konohamaru will benefit from this new relationship."

Kurama could only smile. _Things just keep on getting better and better._ "If that's all, can I go now?"

The Hokage smiled, "Of course."

* * *

After eating lunch at Ichiraku Ramen, Kurama went to the Third Training Ground and placed himself in front of the training posts. He summoned a Shadow Clone and started sparring. Taking Kakashi's advice into consideration, Kurama adopted a fox-like stance, which emphasized speed and left few openings.

Both Kurama and his clone formed a red chakra cloak and didn't forget to suppress any killing intent. He wanted to try and use his tail in combat, as well as his chakra arms. If he mastered using his cloak in that manner, his combat potential would skyrocket.

The clone rushed at Kurama, aiming a punch at his face. Kurama swerved towards the left, avoiding the punch and using his chakra tail to sweep his clone off of his feet. The clone jumped over it, turned 180 degrees and released a chakra arm, which raced towards Kurama. Kurama released a chakra arm of his own, which clutched the clone's arm and ripped it clean off. While the clone was distracted, Kurama released another chakra arm, punching the clone so hard that it dispelled from the impact.

_I'll have to work on it, but using the chakra cloak to form arms and a tail – hopefully tails – opens a whole new dimension to battle. _Kurama grinned demonically. _Once Sakura and Sasuke know that I'm a jinchūriki, our team dynamic will only be that much greater – unless they decide to be like the rest of this goddamn village and hate my guts._

Kurama let the chakra cloak recede and felt a bit drained. He noted that it was a side-effect of having additional chakra coursing through his chakra network. _Exactly like what happened to Sasuke._ Speaking of which, he would have to find a way to get Sasuke to unlock the Sharingan. He sent two Shadow Clones to the Shinobi Library to learn more about shinobi tactics and kekkei genkai.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu was quickly becoming Kurama's most effective technique. The fact that he could gain memories from them was a boon, as well as their usefulness in combat. He was still feeling alright, so he summoned four more clones and sparred against them, creating more clones once they dispelled.

* * *

Hinata Hyūga was taking a walk through the outlying forests of the Hidden Leaf Village after training with Team Eight had been completed for the day. Despite her ability to use the Byakugan, Hinata was one to walk absently as she would think about life or enjoy the wondrous nature of her home.

She found herself walking to the Third Training Ground, where she saw two people clad in orange run off. _They look familiar._ Unperturbed, she continued her walk to find Naruto training with clones of himself.

_Naruto's so amazing. I wish I could have even a bit of his determination or dedication._ She hid behind a nearby tree so that Naruto couldn't see her as she watched; drawing inspiration from watching Naruto train. As Hinata watched Naruto train, she noticed something... different by how he acted. His stance and fighting style were far more animalistic than she could remember.

In order to get a closer look, Hinata used the Byakugan to monitor Naruto's movements more effectively. Chakra pulsed through Naruto's chakra network at an alarmingly fast pace. What was most puzzling to Hinata was how a red chakra would be released from a seal around Naruto's stomach, then immediately convert to the familiar blue kind.

Hinata noticed Naruto's chakra output increase as he formed a clone. She was shocked to see the clone move around the clearing and surrounding forest. _Oh no! He'll probably see me and wonder why I was watching him_.

After (subconsciously) releasing the Byakugan, Hinata ran away from her hiding place and attempted to make her escape, but Naruto caught her before she could do so.

"Hinata?"

Hinata blushed. "Oh, Naruto! Good afternoon."

Naruto ignored her greeting. "How much did you see?"

Hinata was saddened when she saw Naruto's ice-cold stare. "I... only came here after I saw two of your clones leave."

Naruto relaxed slightly, his eyes warming back into their vibrant blue. "Why would you want to watch me train? You could have asked to join me, you know."

_He doesn't hate me. _"Really?"

"Yeah. My Taijutsu needs work and since you're good at Taijutsu, you'd be a great assistant."

Hinata blushed again. _He wants me to train with him? This is almost as good as being on his team._ "I'd love to help you, Naruto."

"Great! I'll contact you whenever I need your help. Maybe I can get Sakura or Sasuke to join us, since Kakashi-sensei said that our Taijutsu needs work."

_Oh... _"Okay, whenever I'm available, I'll... uh... make sure to help you out." Hinata's blush waned a bit before she continued. "As well as your... teammates."

Naruto smiled that beautiful smile of his, "I appreciate it, Hinata! Thanks a lot."

Hinata smiled as well, her blush deepening. "It's my pleasure to help you."

Naruto's eyes widened, as if he remembered something. "Before I forget, Hinata, don't come looking for me if I'm training. I'll come to you, okay?"

"...Okay." While Hinata was a bit confused by Naruto's words, she didn't deny his request.

"Alright then, Hinata. You're free to continue watching me fight, but you can join in. If you want, that is."

Hinata had a golden opportunity in front of her and didn't hesistate to take it. "I'd love that."

Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand, causing her to flush profusely. "Come on! Daylight's burning."

Naruto and Hinata ran off to join the real Naruto and his clones, where they began to train for the rest of the day.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I hope that I captured Hinata's personality and haven't made her too confident. Also, with Sasuke, the reason why he's more receptive of Naruto/Kurama is because he's not being irritating and has shown himself to be useful.

If you have any questions that don't relate to later events in the story, feel free to ask.


	7. D-Rank Dilemma

Chapter 6: D-Rank Dilemma

In the week that followed since Team Seven was formed, Kakashi had drilled Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke in both fitness and Taijutsu. While the other two rookie teams were busy completing missions, Kakashi was bringing up their physical abilities, since with Naruto's ability to use Shadow Clones, performing D-Rank missions would be trivial.

Kakashi was also impressed with his team's level of teamwork. He had considered making his team do teamwork exercises in order to force them to work together after seeing reports given by Iruka about his team and personal observation before Graduation, he had found that their potential for teamwork was... terrible.

Naruto's relationship with Sasuke was a one-sided rivalry, since Naruto didn't have the skills to even challenge Sasuke (at the time) and due to his stubbornness, would never realize that his rivalry with Sasuke was counter-productive, detrimental to his progress as a shinobi.

His relationship with Sakura wasn't much better, since he would be just as stubborn when trying to pursue a relationship with the girl. Sakura, who was unaware of how lonely Naruto truly was, would strike at him, since she only saw Naruto as an obstacle, a nuisance.

Sakura would apply a similar level of obstinacy in her romantic pursuits with Sasuke, who would coldly reject her advances. Whether it was because of pent-up anger at being rejected or just because of her ignorance, Naruto would suffer in any case.

Now?

They were slowly becoming a team – Kakashi found that making them doing teamwork exercises would be unnecessary.

Sakura treated Naruto like a person and didn't bother Sasuke as much (where she might have asked Sasuke out once a day, she only asked him once so far). Sasuke started treating his teammates with respect, ever since noting Naruto's abilities to plan on the spot and his new techniques which had only been an asset and seeing that Sakura was working hard as well, a far cry to what he knew they were like at the Academy.

Naruto, who had toned down his stubbornness and impulsive attitude, became the glue that kept this team together and he was the one that could break it apart. Ideally, once Naruto revealed his identity as a jinchūriki, any ignorance or negative perceptions regarding Naruto would evaporate and the reason behind his rapid progress would be revealed. If it didn't, then all of their progress would have been wasted. _Hopefully it doesn't come to that._

Watching Team Seven jogging alongside the river of the Third Training Ground, Kakashi was proud of his team and their progress, especially Naruto. _Minato-sensei, if only you could see your son now. You would be so proud of how far he has come, and how much more he might and _will _accomplish._

* * *

"Alright Team, come together now."

Team Seven, who had just completed a cooldown jog, gathered in front of Kakashi, standing at attention.

"We're going to break for today-"

"Why, Kakashi-sensei? Your training is doing wonders to my stamina. Now I'm barely tired from doing our warm-up exercises." Sakura said proudly.

"I appreciate your appreciation for my training, Sakura, but the reason why we're stopping missions early today is because we're going to do our first mission."

His team's eyes lit up. "About time!" Sakura shouted out. She then blushed after she realized what she did. "I mean... whenever I would see Ino, she would brag about the missions that her team had done already."

"Did she tell you what type of missions she did?" Kakashi inquired.

"No. No she didn't."

_Good. _"Well, you'll be in for a surprise when we get to the Mission Assignment Desk. Come on, let's go."

* * *

There were a lot of peculiarities surrounding Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke realized. When they went to the Mission Assignment Desk, the Hokage greeted them as he would any other shinobi, but he would treat Naruto especially well.

"Good afternoon, Team Seven," The Hokage said warmly.

"Good afternoon, Lord Hokage," he replied, as did his team.

"Kakashi, I see that you've finally brought your team over. Do you think that they're ready?"

"Why yes, I do, Lord Hokage. I actually want them to start completing these missions so that we can move on to the next stage of training I have planned for them." Sasuke saw Sakura and Naruto beam at the words "next stage of training". He couldn't help but smile as well.

The Hokage decided to test Kakashi's newly-found dedication to his team, "I'm surprised at how you've taken your team under your wing like this, since you have a, how can I say this, reputation to fail teams."

Sasuke was surprised to hear that Kakashi failed teams in the past, but felt pride at Kakashi's counter. "Team Seven have the qualities that I have been seeking, qualities that the other teams did not have."

The Hokage smiled. "Ah, I see. At any rate, we should assign you a mission."

"Give them something good."

Sasuke was hoping that it would be something that would test their skills as a team, something tough, something that would force Naruto to use that incredible technique on him. _That power... If I have that, That Man will fall before my might. _

The Hokage's smile turned into a smirk and Sasuke could tell that it wouldn't be what he was hoping. "We have..." _Here it comes..._

"What?!" Naruto and Sakura shouted out. While he was warming up to them (surprisingly) they were still capable of irritating him.

"Lord Hokage, can you repeat what you said, please?" Sasuke asked.

"Of course. You have three options: catching Madam Shijimi's cat, Tora, helping a couple to move into their new house and pulling out weeds from Ms. Kaede's garden."

_These aren't missions, these are glorified chores!_ Sasuke thought, incensed at these sort of missions.

"We'll help out the couple, Lord Hokage." Kakashi-sensei decided.

"Can't we catch the cat, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"I think that we can help the couple faster than we can catch the cat, Naruto."

"Fine," Naruto said, seemingly downcast by the turn of events.

"So then, it's decided. " The Hokage stated. "Kakashi, here is the scroll that lists the details pertaining to your team's mission."

"And Naruto, don't worry." _Worry about what? _"Kakashi will protect you."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Sure thing, Old Man Hokage!" The Hokage smiled warmly.

_This is just getting strange. How can Naruto get away with such disrespect? Why does Naruto need to be protected – from what does he need to be protected? And how in the world is Naruto capable of doing so many high level techniques? He's the Dead Last, from a lost clan. Why is he so special?_

"Sasuke, are you coming?" The source of his contemplation asked.

Sasuke returned to reality. "Hn."

* * *

Sakura was walking alongside her team to their mission's starting location, the couple's old house. When she had asked Kakashi-sensei about the next stage of training he had mentioned, he had only said that all would be revealed after completing today's mission.

Looking at Sasuke, Sakura resisted the urge to blush. She had decided to use a different method to win Sasuke's affection. Instead of pestering him repeatedly for dates, she had thought about what she did wrong for Sasuke to not acknowledge her. It vexed her, since she couldn't really think about why Sasuke didn't want her, Ino or any of the other girls to even associate with him.

_"Sasuke, why don't you like me?" She had remembered asking Sasuke one day after training._

_Sasuke took a moment to think, then he replied. "You waste your time on me instead of becoming a stronger kunoichi. I'm only interested in the strong, not the weak." _

_"I am strong! At least I want to be."_

_"Don't waste your time on trying to impress me with words. Impress me with your actions if you want me to start looking at you."_

After that conversation, Sakura had dedicated herself to training, which she had quickly come to enjoy. It also improved her relationship with Sasuke – not by much, but it was enough for Sakura to be satisfied with for the time being.

_I can't do it just for him. My world shouldn't revolve around him._ Sakura decided then as she was about to begin her first mission as a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf that she would become a great kunoichi – not for Sasuke, for Ino or for anybody, but for herself and her village.

* * *

Kurama was worried. Not for what would happen to him, but what would happen to the couple if they hated him for what he did on that day. It wasn't like him to worry about killing others, but he didn't exactly want to break down the relationships he had fostered with his team, since it took a conscious amount of effort to cultivate those relationships and everything was going smoothly so far.

"Alright Team, we're here." Kakashi-sensei said, looking at the scroll. He then approached the door and knocked. A woman with brown hair tied up in a low ponytail and green eyes opened it.

"Are you the ninja team that I requested?"

"Yes. You must be Kagome. I'm Kakashi and my team will be at your service until you have been satisified."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you for coming. I needed help with this because my husband is in no condition to be doing any strenuous activity." She looked behind Kakashi-sensei and looked at his team, stopping when she saw Kurama.

"I have to apologize, Mr. Kakashi, but I won't accept help from your blond subordinate."

Kurama glared at the woman, a bit of killing intent leaking. "Ms. Kagome. I am here to help you, to perform a service for _you _on behalf of my village. I would appreciate it if you let me help you."

Kagome, who had assumed (correctly, although it was unknown to her) that the blond boy was only the demon fox possessing him, was taken aback by the boy's attitude, although there was a bit of something... murderous laced behind his words.

"Also," Kakashi-sensei added, "you'll find that Naruto is a very capable individual, perfectly tailored to doing missions like these."

Kagome acquiesced, "Alright. But Naruto, I want no mischief from you, okay?"

Kurama's killing intent evaporated. "Yes. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help you."

Kagome nodded, then showed Team Seven inside. _This kid is the demon? _Kagome thought. _He's so... polite, but he might just be keeping up appearances. Hopefully Koga doesn't overreact when he sees Naruto._

Once Team Seven entered, they saw piles of boxes stacked across the room. While Kagome was instructing them in what boxes kept what, so that they could know what they could and couldn't carry, Kakashi approached Kurama.

"Naruto."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei?"

"How many Shadow Clones can you create?"

"At least a couple hundred, but I'm not sure of my limit."

Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke were visibly surprised. "That's... perfect," Kakashi said.

"Naruto, why would you hold out on us?" Sakura asked.

Kurama smiled deviously. "A true ninja never reveals all of his secrets."

* * *

With the help of Kurama's Shadow Clones, Team Seven were able to quickly transfer every box that Kagome had to her new house. Kagome was shocked when she saw many copies of Naruto running in and out of her house, but when she thought about it, it fit what Kakashi said beforehand.

Team Seven (minus Kurama) stood outside Kagome's house, waiting for her and their team member to arrive. While they were waiting, a man with shoulder-length black hair and dark brown eyes opened the door. He had several burns along the left side of his abdomen and his left leg was disfigured and heavily bandaged, requiring him to use a crutch to walk around.

"So you're the team that Kagome requested?" Koga asked.

Kakashi, who was standing on the side, responded. "Yes. She and our team member Naruto should be coming soon."

Koga's eyes narrowed. "Does this Naruto have blond hair and whisker marks?"

Kakashi steeled himself internally. "Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't. He's coming now, so you'll have to wait and see for yourself."

When Kagome and Kurama, carrying the largest box, came to the house, Kagome rushed to her husband's side. "Koga, you know that you shouldn't be out and about."

"Yeah, I know, I just wanted to thank the team who took their time to help a crippled man and his wife out."

Kurama took his place next to Sakura after placing the box on the house's porch. He didn't fail to notice Koga glaring at him.

_Let's see how this goes. _"Can I help you, sir?"

"Unless you can repair all the damage you've done to me, then no, you can't!" Koga yelled.

Kurama was confused. All he could see was burn scars. _He must have been in contact with my chakra. _"I don't know any fire jutsu, so you can't blame me for what happened to you."

"Quit playing dumb, de-" Koga was interrupted by a wave of killing intent, not from Kurama, but from Kakashi.

"Naruto said he didn't do it, so he didn't do it. He has only been helpful and courteous towards your wife when he had every right not to be, due to how she treated him."

"Yes, Koga, Mr. Kakashi is right, I treated Naruto incorrectly."

Kurama spoke up. _Now just to make sure. I don't remember seeing him, so it would be good to know how he got those injuries._ "Mr. Koga, what happened to your leg and body?"

Koga took a deep breath, then began. "On the night of the Nine-Tailed Fox attack, I was helping evacuate civilians from the village, since I was a Chūnin at the time. After I was finished, I was walking back to the Mission Assignment Desk to find out ways I could help out, but the Fox attacked their just before I could arrive. The residual energy from the attack struck me and caused me to suffer third-degree burns and forced my leg into a state of decay."

Kurama was impassive, but Kakashi saw a flaw in Koga's story. "Wasn't there a medic team on hand to cure you?"

"Yes, but they couldn't do anything to save my leg, other than stop the rotting effect of my leg to spread throughout my body and heal the burned flesh, but not remove the scars.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox cost me my career as an active-duty shinobi. Now I do administrative work to pay the bills." Sakura looked at Koga with a mixture of sympathy and sadness, with a bit of revulsion (for assuming Naruto would do something like that). Sasuke just looked anxious.

"Then why would you blame Naruto for something the Fox did to you, Koga?" Sasuke inquired.

"Never mind him, Sasuke." Kakashi interjected. "As for you, Koga, you should be at least grateful that the Fox didn't kill you, otherwise Kagome here might have suffered without you in her life."

"For the record, Mr. Koga." Kurama spoke up. "I'm sure that the Fox would rather have killed you than caused you such suffering. It's more convenient that way."

Koga thought about everything the Team said. _Maybe I should be grateful. If I died, I wouldn't have Kagome with me and for her, I would overcome any pain._ "Maybe you're right."

Kagome smiled at Team Seven, "I was only angry at you because of what happened to Koga, Naruto. I hope you can forgive me." Both Sakura and Sasuke looked puzzled, but Kurama looked at Kagome with a glimmer of joy in his eyes.

"Apology accepted, Ms. Kagome and thank you again for letting me help you," Kurama said politely. _A bit of politeness goes a long way, it seems._

"It was my pleasure, Naruto."

* * *

After completing the mission and leaving Koga and Kagome, Kurama walked towards his apartment. _I don't regret what I did, but if I had to do it again, I would have killed him, then Kagome, so they could at least be together in death._

"Hey, Naruto." Kakashi-sensei called out, appearing alongside him. They walked to Kurama's apartment in silence, before Kurama asked Kakashi-sensei about why he was walking with him.

"I could see that you were struggling with hearing Koga's words. It hurts, doesn't it? To be accused of something you didn't do," Kakashi-sensei answered.

"To be honest, Kakashi-sensei, I don't know what to feel. I want to help this village out, but it's like I can never escape the shadow of the Fox no matter how far I try to run away from it."

"Well, it's like this, Naruto. You have to just not worry about it. Do your best in everything that you do. Eventually, if you do good, people will start thinking of you as Naruto Uzumaki, not the Nine-Tailed Fox."

_But what happens when they really _do _know that I'm the Nine-Tailed Fox? Will Kakashi-sensei run away from me and treat me like Koga or Kagome did? Or will he stand by me like Iruka-sensei, Old Man Hokage, Teuchi and Ayame? __Kakashi-sensei has proven to be competent and helpful, losing his trust would be a setback to fulfilling my goal.  
_

"Think about it, Naruto and remember, we're starting with Stage 2 of our training, so bring your weapons set with you, alright?"

"I will, Kakashi-sensei and thanks for the advice."

"That's what I'm here for, Naruto." Kakashi-sensei said, appearing to smile from under his mask. They found themselves in front of Kurama's apartment. "Well, I have to go. Don't be late tomorrow!"

"Same goes for you, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi ruffled Kurama's hair, then waved goodbye, disappearing in a swirl of leaves.


	8. First Blood

Chapter 7: First Blood

Sakura prepared to spar against her new rival, Sasuke. She fastened her ponytail, pulled down her red shirt (which had a similar design to her dress) and made sure that her weapons holster was fully stock and strapped over her blue shorts. After making sure that the two bangs that she didn't keep tied up with her forehead protector weren't obscuring her vision, she informed Kakashi that she was ready.

"Alright then. This spar is full-contact and will consist of two ten-minute rounds with a one-minute break in between rounds. No Ninjutsu or Genjutsu techniques are allowed – only weapons and taijutsu. The winner of the spar will be the one who 'kills' their opponent. When I give the signal, the spar will begin." Kakashi snapped his fingers, creating a spark of fire which bloomed into a flame – the signal.

Sakura threw a kunai at Sasuke, which he deflected by throwing his own kunai. Sakura drew out three shuriken and threw them at full speed. Sasuke dodged the first then blocked the other two by hitting them with his kunai. Sakura pulled out another kunai and dashed towards Sasuke, who pulled out his own kunai.

Once Sakura reached Sasuke, she swung her kunai in a vertical motion, which Sasuke parried. Sakura followed up with a spinning thrust kick, which Sasuke blocked with a downwards outside block. Taking advantage of Sakura's brief lapse of balance, Sasuke delivered a roundhouse kick with his right leg, which Sakura stopped by striking his calf with the hilt of her kunai.

Wincing in pain, Sasuke gritted his teeth and drew his leg back. Sakura followed up by reversing her grip and stabbing forwards. Sasuke grabbed her wrist with his left hand before she could make contact and pulled her arm upwards, striking her ribs with his kunai's hilt, then releasing her and creating distance between them.

He put away his kunai and drew four shuriken and planned to throw them at random intervals so that he could fake out his opponent. He threw the first shuriken at an angle then threw two more shuriken at the right. Thinking that she was in the clear, Sakura dashed forward, only to see Sasuke smirking.

He threw the last shuriken at Sakura's forehead, knowing that she would be be able to protect herself. She blocked the shuriken like he predicted, but when she was about to stab Sasuke with her kunai, she found herself on her knees, three shuriken jutting out of her back.

What Sakura _didn't _see was that Sasuke had attached ninja wire to his shuriken, which would allow him to pull them back in a boomerang-like effect. Sasuke pulled out the kunai he had stored and placed it against Sakura's throat, closing the distance between them with ease.

"Match." Kakashi said. He came to Sakura's aid and removed the shuriken, using the Mystical Palm technique to heal any damage. Fortunately for Sakura, she was only slightly injured.

"Nice match, Sasuke," Sakura said, smiling despite her loss.

Sasuke smiled as well, "Agreed. You've improved, Sakura." In the two weeks since their first D-Rank mission, Kakashi had re-introduced weapons to his team and taught them how to apply weapons in both close range and long range battle.

Kakashi was contemplating how much more effective both Sakura and Sasuke would be if they could apply Ninjutsu or Genjutsu in their sparring. _Substitutions, Clones, feints, distractions; the possibilities are vast. The foundation in Taijutsu has helped my team extensively, especially Sakura._

Sakura's stamina had improved dramatically, thanks to her eating a lot more (Sakura complained of fatigue and hunger, which led Kakashi to figure out that a change in diet would be necessary) and her extensive stamina training.

"Naruto, come and join us." Kurama, who was throwing kunai and shuriken at makeshift targets stopped his exercise and joined his teammates.

What Kakashi had noticed about Kurama's fighting style was that it emphasized brutal takedowns and left few openings for counterattacks, despite being far more feral and reckless when he compared his style to Sasuke or Sakura's. Kakashi had at _least_ made sure that Kurama's attacks were performed properly, so that he didn't needlessly waste energy. Kakashi didn't force Kurama to swap fighting styles, since Naruto's style of fighting was effective.

"Alright, Team, listen up. We've already completed enough D-Rank missions and since I'm satisfied with your progress so far, I've found a suitable C-Rank mission for us to do."

Sasuke smirked, Sakura smiled brightly and Kurama had an unreadable look on his face.

"Once we've completed this mission, we'll be starting on Chakra Control and Genjutsu."

"Excuse me, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"When are we going to learn more Ninjutsu? I don't have any other techniques besides the 'Academy Three', but Sasuke can use Fire-elemental jutsu and Naruto can use Shadow Clones, among other jutsu."

"I need to assess your chakra control and find out your chakra affinity before I can teach you any Ninjutsu."

"I understand, Kakashi-sensei, but it's... fun. Learning new techniques, then applying them in practice."

"I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself, Sakura, but you do know that this is a gradual process, right? You've already become much stronger than you were when you started your ninja career. You should have faith in my capabilities to teach you."

"I do... Sorry, Kakashi-sensei, I'm just so excited nowadays."

Kakashi smiled, tousling Sakura's hair. "Alright Team, let's head to the Mission Assignment Desk."

* * *

Team Seven found themselves investigating a series of murders in a nearby village. There were rumours of bandits or mercenaries being the source of the murders, but they were unreliable. So when the Hokage gave the mission, Kakashi had his team take it, since it would be a decent excursion outside the village and a wake-up call – if all went according to plan.

Kakashi wasn't worried about any serious danger, since unless there was a shinobi amongst the bandits, there was no reason for them to worry. _I've been teaching these kids how to kill. They know the theory, now they just have to execute it._

"Team. If you run into a bandit or mercenary, I want you to kill them." Kakashi said while they were busy walking to the village.

"Kill?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. They will kill you if they see you, so do not give them mercy."

Sakura blanched, but Kurama, who was enjoying being outside the village, grinned venomously. _I haven't killed anybody in over twelve years. It'll be good bathing in the blood of those wastes of skin._

"You aren't... looking forward to seeing a bandit, are you Naruto?"

"I am, Sakura. Might as well get the 'first kill' out of the way; it'll be a good opportunity to test out my skills."

"You're awfully casual about murder, Naruto," Kakashi said. "It's almost like you've done it before."

"Please. I think the whole 'overreacting to murder' thing is overrated. You go in, you end the person's life, you get out. Simple, easy, efficient."

"Prove it then." Sasuke said coldly. "If you don't chicken out or suffer from PTSD, then we'll see if your words have merit."

Kurama grinned widely, although there was no mirth in his smile. "Gladly."

_Hopefully I don't have to eat my words. _Sasuke thought. _Besides, once I get used to killing, then I'll be able to kill That Man. No remorse, no regrets. Just do your best. _Sasuke paused at his train of thought. _Naruto's ninja way is useful, to say the least._

* * *

Team Seven stepped inside the village.

"Alright, Team. Make yourselves inconspicuous and look out for clues. Take these," Kakashi took out four wireless headsets, "and use them to communicate if you find anything. We'll meet back here at five sharp."

Placing the headsets on their ears, Team Seven split up. Kurama formed two Shadow Clones and had them trail behind Sakura and Sasuke, with instructions to dispel if they found anything suspicious. He created an additional Shadow Clone to follow Kakashi-sensei, who was instructed to act as an information relay.

He went to the nearest bar, using the Sexy Jutsu before entering. Kurama entered the bar and went to the bartender, pulling 'her' new trench coat over her body to cover her body.

"Hey. I've wandered into town looking for a good time. Can you give me something good?" Kurama said sultrily.

"Sorry, honey, I can't."

"Why not?" Kurama pouted to seal the deal.

"This town's been hit with a series of murders thanks to a local gang trying to gain control."

"Does this gang have any... ninja?"

"Not that I've heard."

"Where can I find them?"

"Some of the thugs who work for the gang frequent this bar, so if you come back a bit later, maybe you'll find what you're looking for."

Kurama smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. See you then." 'She' winked at him, then walked out, hips swaying.

Once outside, Kurama reverted his transformation and contacted Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, I've got a potential lead."

"Good job, Naruto. Send me any information that you find."

"Sure thing." Kurama created a Shadow Clone, then dispelled it immediately, which informed all of his clones of his new information and additional instructions to follow. _This jutsu... is on another level of usefulness. _A demonic grin enveloped Kurama's features. _Now, to find some more leads._

* * *

Sakura was walking through one of the village's many alleys. Although there weren't many gangsters or bandits in the Hidden Leaf Village, Sakura was aware that they were more likely to prey on the weak, in out of the way locations. She knew what she would have to do if she found one – contact Kakashi-sensei and if necessary, kill the unlucky person.

_I'm a ninja now, once I get this out of the way, I'll be a better ninja._ Sakura steeled her resolve, walking with a renewed vigour.

* * *

Sasuke was wandering through the village. He noted that most of the village was quiet, which was unusual at this time of day. _I have three hours left before I have to join up with the team. Let's make the most of that time._

Sasuke decided to take the direct approach, knocking on the door of one of the larger houses. A young boy with dark brown hair opened it. He looked frantic, nervous. "Can I... h-help you, sir?"

Sasuke, who had transformed into an unremarkable man with normally-shaped black hair and black eyes, with normal clothing, responded in a voice different to his own. "I just came into town, looking for some information."

A woman with piercing red eyes and short, pale blue hair walked behind the boy, "Shinji, let me deal with the stranger, okay?"

Shinji nodded, then walked inside the house. One he was out of earshot, Shinji's mother began speaking. "Why are you here, shinobi?"

Sasuke dispelled his transformation. "How could you tell?"

"I know everybody in this village and I haven't seen you before. So, what are you doing here?"

"I was sent to investigate the recent set of murders. Do you have any information for me?"

"... No," she replied after a tense moment of contemplation.

_How annoying. _"If I know who was involved, I can help make sure that these murders stop."

Shock was present on Shinji's mother's face. "You're just a boy! How can you stop those monsters?"

"My team and I will take care of it. Just. Tell me." Sasuke growled out.

Shinji's mother acquiesed after a sigh of irritation. "They have a set of hangouts around the village. I only know of three – the local bar, this underground casino and a gathering hall, or something similar."

"...I see. This information might be useful."

The woman's expression relaxed. "Those monsters killed my husband. Don't let them kill my son, please!"

"I won't." Sasuke said convincingly, before walking away. _I won't let another massacre happen, not on my life!_

"Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke said after contacting him. "I've found potential hideouts for our targets."

"Tell me the locations," Kakashi-sensei replied.

"A bar, a casino and a gathering hall."

Kakashi-sensei supposedly was pondering something, then answered. "Good work, Sasuke. I'll be sure to contact Naruto and Sakura to relay the information."

"Hn."

* * *

Team Seven stood at the entrance to the village, which served as their meeting place. After reviewing and comparing their discoveries, Kurama spoke up.

"So, what's the plan, Sensei?"

"We're going to separate into two groups. I'll accompany Sakura and Sasuke when they go to the casino. Naruto, I want you to infiltrate the bar again and draw as much attention as possible to yourself. That way, we can find out the identities of the gang members and kill them. I also want you to leave a Shadow Clone with us."

Kurama formed a Shadow Clone, then used the Sexy Jutsu. "Here you go, Kakashi-sensei!"

_I will _never _get used to that form._ Kakashi thought.

_At least Naruto's wearing clothes this time. _Sakura thought, repressing an urge to scold Naruto for his perverseness.

"Well I'll be going now, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Sasuke. Stay safe!" Kurama sauntered off. While 'she' was strolling to the bar, 'she' allowed herself to be lost in her thoughts. _This Sexy Jutsu must have some sort of alternate personality. I'll have to force myself to switch it off and on, since it _really _gets inconvenient sometimes._

Once Kurama entered the bar, he went to the bartender.

"You're back."

"Yes, I am. Have you got anything good for me?"

"A man that was seen at the site of at least one of the murders has arrived with his accomplices." The bartender turned, looking at the man and his group. The man was shorter than his accomplices, his spiky black hair accentuating his scarred face, but reeked of negative emotions. Anger, malevolence and something... sinister rolled off of him in waves.

"Mr. Bartender, please leave."

"I can't, milady. Who will serve that... man if I leave?"

Kurama smirked, which looked seductive on his female form. "I'll take care of him for you. Now go!"

The bartender left the bar hurriedly, recognizing the implication behind the woman's words. After he left, Kurama rose up from the stool he was sitting on and moved to the man's table. The man was busy drinking sake, surrounded by five of his henchmen.

"Hey there, I noticed you from over there and I wanted to know if you needed... company."

"Glad you could join us, miss. May I have the pleasure of learning your name?"

Feelings of lust were pulsating from the man. "It's common courtesy to give your name first."

"It's Tōji." Tōji looked around the bar and didn't notice the bartender. "Where's the bartender?"

Kurama smiled. "He went out for a break."

"You, Aida, go and get the bartender back here or else I'll be forced to kill him like I killed that bitch's husband for double-crossing me."

Aida, a man much larger than Tōji, ran off, but Kurama stopped him, grabbing his arm. "Why don't you stay, Aida? Like I said, the bartender's only taking a break."

Tōji stood up and shoved the table next to him out of the way. "You must be new here, woman. _Nobody _crosses me, do you understand?"

"Of course." Kurama's smile turned malicious as a wave of killing intent struck Tōji, Aida and the other bandits. "You've revealed everything I need to know, Tōji. Now..." Kurama laughed, then an evil smirk formed on his face, which looked unnatural when he did it in the Sexy Jutsu. "You die."

Kurama transformed back to normal. "You're just a kid, you may be a ninja, but you're still weak." Tōji poked Kurama on his chest, even if he was feeling a bit nervous. "Pathetic. You're the one that's going to die, little boy. Mommy's not going to be here to save your soon-to-be dead ass."

Kurama pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it on the ground. While the smokescreen blinded Tōji and his group, Kurama created a Shadow Clone and dispelled it. After the smokescreen dissipated, Kurama released some of his chakra and drew out a kunai.

Tōji saw that the boy who was standing in front him was different, although he couldn't exactly place _where_ the difference was, until he looked at the boy's eyes. "Your eyes, what happened to your eyes?"

"Wouldn't you love to know?" Kurama threw the kunai at one of the bandit's heart, killing him instantly. _One down, four to go. _He ran to the deceased bandit, pulled out the kunai and dashed to the mercenary next to him. The bandit tried to punch Kurama in the face, but Kurama blocked the punch, drove the kunai into the bandit's forearm and dragged it through his arm, tearing through flesh, muscle and veins. He pulled out the kunai and sliced the bandit's throat in one motion, killing him and stopping his screams of agony.

"Who's next?" Kurama shouted, grinning. One of the bandits tried to run away, but Kurama launched a chakra arm at him, using the chakra arm's fingers to stab the bandit through the heart and throat. Another bandit tried to hit Kurama with a chair, but he was stopped when Kurama used the corpse still attached to his chakra arm as a projectile.

The bandit was launched into the wall after impacting with the corpse, a dazed but frightened expression growing on his face. Kurama threw the kunai at the bandit. The throw was on target and the kunai was buried in the bandit's forehead, up to the handle.

Aida ran forward, brandishing a hammer. Aida swung sideways, but missed when Kurama jumped over it and slashed downwards using his extended fingernails. He then wrapped his tail around Aida's neck, choking him to death.

Tōji, who was positive that the boy in front of him would be no threat, was genuinely surprised and shocked to his core. "What are you? No boy is capable of doing something so... evil!"

"I'm not like the other boys." Kurama closed the distance between him and Tōji and punched him before he could react, breaking his jaw and knocking him out. _Maybe he'll be useful for interrogation or something._

After he tied up Tōji with ninja wire, he looked around to assess the damage he dealt. He had either killed or incapacitated every single person in the room. _Impressive. Kakashi-sensei's training was beneficial. If he didn't drill in those lessons, I would have been forced to kill them in a far... messier fashion. _Kurama gave the largest grin he could muster. _Excellent. Now I feel... satisfied. _

* * *

Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke went to the bar after they finished their job and they received the message from Naruto.

"N-Naruto?" Sakura called out. She was shaken after killing the bandits, but wasn't willing to break down over it, not when she needed to be strong.

"Yes, Sakura?" Naruto rasped. His voice, to Sakura, sounded far more evil than she was used to.

"Are you alright?" Naruto approached her, a red cloak of chakra flowing around Naruto. _What... happened to him?_

"Never felt better." The cloak of chakra and the feeling of death around Naruto disappeared. "Kakashi-sensei, how did it go on your side?"

Kakashi, who was distracted, but not unnerved, by the killing intent emanating from Naruto, focused his senses after the feeling disappeared. "We managed to kill everyone inside the casino, but there was nobody inside the gathering hall. And you?"

"I killed five bandits but left their leader, Tōji, alive, so that he could be interrogated."

_He's so casual about a first kill, but that can be dealt with later. _"Is that so? Well then, I'll have to make Tōji squeal."

"I want first crack at him, Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke said angrily. He looked a bit paler than usual, but otherwise looked normal.

"Why is that, Sasuke?"

"For what he did to that boy's mother, he'll pay!"

_More problematic behaviour. Maybe Sasuke's just a bit shaken from killing those bandits. _"Only the 'first crack'. When I dismiss you, you _will _leave, understand?"

"...Yes, Kakashi-sensei." Kakashi picked up Tōji and propped on his shoulder, then left the bar, Sasuke following close by.

* * *

After the bartender returned, he was shocked to see all the dead bodies, although Kurama, who told the bartender that he was the woman from earlier, diffused the situation.

"Can you get me a glass of water?"

"Yes, anything for you, Naruto. You and your friends saved our village." The bartender took a glass, filled it with water and handed it to Naruto with a smile on his face, who then took it and sat beside Sakura.

"How did it go, Sakura?" Sakura, who was still having trouble not breaking down, started to unravel.

"I can't stop thinking about it! Killing those bandits. I know that they're bad and that I did a good thing, but I nearly froze up after I killed them, but it's a good thing that I didn't because if I did, then I'd probably be dead.

"I mean, there was that desensitization training back at the Academy, but it didn't work! I still see myself stabbing those bandits, over and over and over!" Sakura babbled, struggling to get a hold on her rampant emotions.

"Sakura! Calm down. Here's some water." Kurama gave Sakura the glass and watch Sakura down it greedily.

"Naruto, thanks. Can I ask you something? What _was_ that red chakra that surrounded you and how did you get it?"

"...I'll tell you later."

Sakura relented for the moment, respecting Kurama's right to reveal his secret techniques. "Ok..." Sakura stayed silent, then asked Kurama another question. "Why aren't you bothered by killing those bandits?"

"It was either me or them and they deserved to die. It might be hard to accept that you have to kill to live, but that's what you signed up for when you became a Hidden Leaf kunoichi. So don't feel remorse and don't have any regrets for what you did, ok?"

Sakura smiled, although it was strained. "I... understand."

_Maybe's there's hope for the girl yet. I will _not _tolerate her presence if she becomes weak-willed. If I have to be nice and help her, then so be it. _"I'm glad that you do."

After a brief bit of silence between them, Sasuke walked into the bar, even paler than he was before. "Bartender, can I get a glass of water, please?"

"Sure." After Sasuke took the glass of water, he moved towards his teammates.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed. "Are you okay?" Even if Sakura saw Sasuke as her rival, her feelings for him didn't diminish as much as Sasuke would have hoped.

"Just a bit under the weather. Naruto... how are you able to kill someone, anyone without it flashing through your eyes repeatedly?"

"I'll tell you, but first Sasuke, this..." Kurama waved his hand around Sasuke's face and body, "...isn't like you. What happened?"

Sasuke took a sip from his drink and began to tell his teammates about his interrogation of Tōji.

* * *

_In a secluded area of the village, Kakashi woke up Tōji by slapping him. Hard._

_"Wake up!" _

_Tōji woke up abruptly, to find himself tied up and facing two people. "What are you doing here? Where's that demon kid?"_

_Kakashi backhanded Tōji. "Keep quiet!"_

_"Allow me, Sensei." Sasuke stooped down to face Tōji. "You pathetic piece of trash! How could you kill that woman's husband? Do you know what you've done?"_

_"What do you care, boy? That bitch deserved everything she got. For her husband humiliating me in front of my henchmen, for denying me her body once I murdered her husband in front of her." Tōji's words came out slurred, due to his broken jaw._

_Sasuke became furious. "Monster. Scum like you doesn't deserve to live. You break apart families, you act like you're some sort of gift to the world, but you aren't! You're trash." Sasuke spat at the bandit._

_"Okay, Sasuke, that's enough. Now, Tōji, who are you working for?"_

_"I work for myself."_

_Kakashi stepped on Tōji's shin, cracking it. "Don't lie to me. You're just a common thug with delusions of grandeur. Who do you work for?"_

_Tōji didn't speak, wincing in pain from Kakashi's strike._

_"Fine then." Kakashi snapped his fingers, creating a small flame. "If you don't tell me who you work for, I will have no choice but to take _extreme_ measures. It's your choice."_

_Tōji was tight-lipped, but as Kakashi moved the flame towards his crotch, he screamed out. "Okay, okay! I work for a man named Gatō. He wanted to spread his influence to the Land of Fire, which was why he sent me to wreak havoc in this village. Take that flame away from me!"_

_Kakashi dispersed the flame, then wreathed his hand in lightning, shocking Tōji to death. Sasuke watched as Tōji convulsed and writhed in pain._

_"It's okay, Sasuke. This is just one of the more... unsavoury parts of ninja life." Kakashi took a deep breath. "Go back to Naruto and Sakura, alright?"_

* * *

"I've never been so sickened in my life, between murdering those bandits _and_ having to watch Kakashi-sensei torture and kill that man – even if he _did_ deserve it."

Sakura looked almost as disgusted as Sasuke, but managed to remain composed. "It's just a part of ninja life, right? No remorse, no regrets, like Naruto says."

_That's why torture is so... unfavourable. _Kurama thought. _A pointless exercise - torture's just another term for prolonged death. _

"I agree with Sakura. You're not dead, and you've grown, Sasuke. That's all that matters."

"You make it look so easy, Naruto, to kill others and not even bat an eye." _Is this how I'll feel like when I kill Itachi? No. He deserves to die even more than Tōji did._

"That's just because my priorities are a bit different from yours..."

* * *

Team Seven were ready to depart from the village the next day, where the bartender, Shinji and Shinji's mother, Yui, stood at the village entrance, seeing them off.

"Everyone, thank you." Yui smiled at them, giving Sasuke a larger smile than she did the others. "You gave us an opportunity to rebuild and move on. Now my husband will be able to rest in peace."

"We were glad we could help you out," Kakashi said.

"Sasuke!" Shinji shouted out. "Come back and visit sometime."

"That goes for all of you," Yui added.

Sasuke smiled. It was small, but genuine. "Maybe we will."

Team Seven left the village to return to their home, their first C-Rank Mission complete.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I won't be doing the mission where Team Seven goes to the Land of Waves. While I like the arc in the show, it isn't important to Kurama, Sakura or Sasuke's character development in the story. And there are only so many ways to do the arc, in any case and nearly everybody has done it. I will mention it, though.


	9. Change

**Author's Note**: Thanks for everyone who read my story, but why not review, to tell me what you liked or didn't like about the story, or favourite if you really did like it - I appreciate the people who _did_ do exactly that.

* * *

Chapter 8: Change

"I'm worried about you, Naruto," The Hokage said. He had moved up their bi-monthly meeting up a week after Kakashi gave his post-mission report. He wanted to get Naruto's side of the story.

"That's just what Kakashi-sensei said when he spoke to me about killing those bandits. It was necessary and I don't regret it," Kurama casually replied.

"That's the problem. It's normal for someone to be at least slightly traumatised after their first kill, but you seem unfazed about it."

"I made my peace with it just after I killed them. I have better things to do than mourn for the dead, Lord Hokage."

The Hokage remained silent, processing everything he heard so far. "You're changing, Naruto. And not for the better. In fact, this demeanour of yours fits a seasoned killer rather than an inexperienced Genin. Like you've let the Fox influence your emotions a lot more than you've let on."

"Let me show you something, Lord Hokage." Kurama released his chakra cloak, suppressing as much killing intent as he could. The cloak became orange in colour as a result. Kurama pushed more chakra out, which caused the cloak to expand and form two tails.

"This is my current progress with the Fox's power – I can use up to two tails worth of the Fox's chakra now. An improvement, if I do say so myself."

The Hokage looked into Kurama's eyes, which were currently a soft red. "Then why am I not feeling any of the Fox's murderous chakra?"

"Want me to show you why?"

The Hokage nodded and Kurama released his killing intent, which caused the chakra cloak to turn from a warm orange to a fiery red, his eyes gaining dark slits and his features becoming more fox-like.

"Yes, I see." The Hokage said, looking in understanding.

Kurama released his chakra cloak. "As you can see, Lord Hokage, I am in control. The Fox and I have a unique synergy and cannot influence me in any way, meaning that any theories that you have that I'm being influenced by the Fox are unfounded."

"I'm surprised, Naruto. Ever since the Fox attacked on the day of your birth, I always associated it with being the ultimate evil. I never thought that its chakra could be so... warm, inviting. Safe, even."

"There are a lot of things that you don't know about the Fox, Old Man Hokage," Kurama replied cryptically.

"You're right, but a word of advice. Not everyone will be as tolerant of you using the Fox's chakra or seeing someone, who was just a month ago an exuberant prankster, so casual about killing."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kurama said, smiling.

* * *

Kakashi stood in front of his team, holding four pieces of paper in his hand. "Alright, Team. We're going to start on chakra control, but first, can you tell me what I have in my hand?"

"Those papers are designed to determine the user's elemental chakra affinity." Sakura stated.

"Correct, Sakura. Here's how it works: you grab the paper, push chakra into it and it'll start doing its thing. If you have a fire affinity, the paper will ignite and turn into ash; if you're water, the paper will become wet; if you're earth, the paper will crumble into dust; if you're wind, the paper will split into two and if you're lightning..." Kakashi pushed chakra into one of the chakra papers, which wrinkled. "...the paper will do that."

Kakashi handed the remaining chakra papers to his team. "Alright, Sakura, you go first."

Sakura pushed chakra into the paper, which caused it to become soggy. It crumbled into dust soon after.

"Interesting. You have a dual affinity: water is your primary affinity and earth your secondary."

Sakura beamed at the revelation. Sasuke was the next one to take the affinity test. While he was sure he would get Fire, he felt that he had more potential than that. The paper wrinkled, bursting into black flames immediately after.

Kakashi looked puzzled. While he had a dual affinity like Sakura, the paper bursting into black flames implied that Sasuke could have another Kekkei Genkai beyond the Sharingan.

"You have a dual affinity, Sasuke: fire and lightning. You _might _have another Kekkei Genkai, though."

"_Two _Kekkei Genkai?" Sakura asked, incredulous.

"It's incredibly rare to have two bloodline limits naturally, but Sasuke must have been born lucky."

_Even two Kekkei Genkai can't compare to my power – the most powerful Tailed Beast on the planet. _"My turn." Kurama pushed his chakra into the paper. It split apart into two pieces, the pieces burning as soon as they split.

"Another dual affinity: fire and wind. I'm proud of you all – between the three of you, you have all five elemental affinities."

"So what does this mean, anyway?" Sasuke asked, the grin on his face not disappearing. _Two Kekkei Genkai. This is amazing._

"Chakra affinities determine what element you're naturally inclined to, which means that it will be easier to learn an elemental technique of your own affinity, or affinities. You can still learn an Earth technique, for example, if you don't have the affinity, but it's more difficult to do so.

"You also have to master your chakra affinity, but before we do that, I have to assess your current level of chakra control. And for that..." Team Seven could swear that Kakashi was grinning like a clown under that mask. "...we have to climb trees!"

_So that's why we're here. _"Looks like Kakashi-sensei has gone insane without being late for two weeks," Kurama observed, grinning toothily.

"Without your hands," Kakashi intoned. He gave a demonstration by walking to a nearby tree and slowly walked up the tree, stepping onto a nearby branch. "Don't underestimate this technique, _Naruto_, since it's the basis for more advanced techniques like water walking or the Body Flicker.

"Naruto, go ahead and show us how to do the technique," Kakashi ordered. Kurama went to a tree close to him and started running up the trunk, but slipped off, landing on his back. Sakura giggled and Sasuke tried to repress a smirk, but failed.

"Too little chakra, Naruto. Put more chakra into the technique." Sasuke made an attempt on another tree, but before he could get far up the tree, he was blasted off, his footprint leaving a mark on the tree.

"Too _much_ chakra, Sasuke. Sakura, why don't you try?"

Sakura nodded and started walking up a tree of her own. Regulating the amount of chakra she released with each step, she managed to reach the top of the tree on her first try.

_At least she's good for something._

_Not bad at all._

"Very impressive, Sakura. You've managed to surpass your teammates in chakra control. Come with me and I'll teach you water walking." Kakashi front flipped off of the branch he was perched on. "As for you two, take kunai and mark your progress while you go up your tree."

As Kakashi and Sakura left, Kurama thought he could hear Kakashi mumbling about being late tomorrow, but shrugged. _He won't be late again. We know all of his stomping grounds._ He searched for the highest trees in the forest and once he found them, he had a Shadow Clone guide Sasuke to his current location.

He turned to Sasuke. "Ready, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded. "First one up to the top of their tree has to buy the other's lunch."

Kurama pulled out a kunai, twirling it. "You must really be confident in your skills."

Sasuke smirked. "I have to be."

* * *

Both Kurama and Sasuke stood on top of their trees, looking over the Third Training Ground, where they could see Sakura lying next to the river and Kakashi looking at the Memorial Stone.

"See, Sasuke?" Kurama pointed at Kakashi. "That's where Sensei goes when he's supposed to be training us."

A look of confirmation enveloped Sasuke's face. "...You were right."

"Since, somehow, we got to the top of our trees at the same time, neither of us won the bet."

"Hn."

"Let's get down, I'm actually starting to feel a burning sensation."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That's what we normal people called chakra exhaustion."

"Is that what it was? Well, there's a first time for everything." Kurama smiled. "Let's go get Sakura and go eat at Ichiraku Ramen."

Sasuke had an out-of-character reaction. "Shouldn't we inform Kakashi-sensei that we'll be ditching him?"

"Since we've done what we were assigned to do, he won't worry about us if we're done, but I'll send a clone to go tell him, just in case."

"Fine by me, I just wanted to make sure that Kakashi-sensei knew where we were, so he wouldn't be _annoying_ or something."

* * *

Team Seven, minus Kakashi (who told Kurama that he had plans of his own when he was asked to join them), went to Yakiniku Q, following Sakura's decision to go there.

"Remind me, why are we here and not at Ichiraku Ramen?" Kurama asked.

"Since I finished the tree-climbing exercise first, I got to decide where to go." Sakura replied, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Whatever." Sasuke said, stopping Kurama before he could argue with Sakura.

"Fine, let's just celebrate Sakura being number one for once," Kurama said, smiling.

After ordering their food, Team Seven started speaking about what they did for training when they were alone. Kurama mentioned how he could get Hinata to help them with Taijutsu. While Sasuke was unsure, Sakura said that it could be a good thing. However...

"What are _you_ doing here, Billboard Brow?"

Sakura's smile evaporated at the voice. Sasuke looked annoyed and Kurama was still.

"We were celebrating..." Sakura whispered.

"Celebrating what?" Ino Yamanaka, who had arrived with her team and sensei, asked. "That you finally got to bring Sasuke on a date? Oh and speaking of which, Sasuke, once you get bored of old Billboard over here, come and join me."

"Why would I?" Sasuke asked. He was genuinely confused.

"Because! Sakura's only good for that brain that she keeps under that giant forehead of hers." Ino noticed Naruto, placing her hand on her hip. "And she's not even good enough to get a private date, since I bet the only reason Sasuke's here is because of Naruto."

"Ino." Kurama said, speaking for the first time since Ino entered the restaurant. "Why... are you here?"

Ino's gaze narrowed, then she huffed, blowing a stray hair away from her forehead. "This is our regular eating space, Uzumaki. I could be asking you the same question."

"Sakura invited us and we're celebrating her victory. She has the best chakra control out of us three," Kurama said matter-of-factly. Sakura blushed at the praise.

"Like that means anything!" Ino snapped her fingers. "A true kunoichi knows more than just chakra control."

_Stupid girl. _"If you're just going to belittle Sakura, you might as well leave. Go and join lazy boy, Chōji and Old Man Hokage's son and leave us alone."

"Who are you to tell me what to do, Uzumaki?" Ino asked haughtily.

"I'm Sakura's teammate. I wouldn't want to _force_ you to leave."

"Don't you forget, _Naruto_, that I was, overall, the best academy student, while you were the worst. I doubt you improved enough to beat me, even if you _are_ on the same team as Sasuke. After all, our team just finished an A-Rank mission."

_Interesting. _"Did you kill anyone?"

Ino sputtered. "What? Kill? ...No, I didn't."

"Sakura did. We all did on our first C-Rank. Want to know how it feels like to kill someone?" Kurama asked, a wily smile on his face.

"Liar! Maybe Sasuke did kill someone, but you? Billboard Brow? No way! You're both too weak to kill anyone," Ino shot back.

"There's a lot you don't know about me _or_ Sakura, Ino. In fact, let me show you something I picked up."

Kurama's eyes turned red, intending to hit Ino with the full force of his killing intent, but stopped when Sakura clasped his wrist. "Naruto, please don't. As for you Ino, I won't have you insulting me _or_ my teammate while he took the time to celebrate with me. So, please, for the sake of our old friendship, leave."

"Fine, if that's what you want, I will! See you around, Sasuke." Ino winked at the Uchiha heir, then spun on her foot and walked off. _Not bad, Sakura, not bad. You're finally starting to blossom. _When she was sure no one could see her, she let a small, but sad smile come across her features. _It's just a shame that you didn't need me to help you, huh?_

When Ino was out of earshot, Sasuke spoke up. "You're not fighting over me, so why haven't you buried the hatchet with her, Sakura?"

Sakura was surprised. "You noticed?"

Sasuke turned to the side. "I don't like being the reason for other's suffering."

Sakura stayed silent. "Ino must be important to you, huh Sakura?" Kurama asked softly.

"...Yeah, but you've seen how she acted around me."

"It was probably just an act."

"Huh?" Sakura asked, a confused look encased on her features.

"Yeah. She was trying to get you to respond negatively, or argue with her. Sasuke does have a point though, since you _aren't_ fighting over him, maybe you _should_ bury the hatchet with Ino."

It was Sakura's turn to ask the questions. "If you knew what she was doing, Naruto, then why did you want to scare her?"

_How did she know?_ "She was annoying."

"Naruto, you'll have to tell us how you're capable of scaring people like that, or making that red chakra, or knowing how people feel - and sometime soon."

"Not now, Sakura. Maybe tomorrow."

The food that Team Seven ordered arrived. "This is definitely going to be an interesting way to eat." Kurama noticed.

Sasuke, who was busy preparing his meal, was focusing on the different conversations around the restaurant, eventually focusing on one conversation. The conversation, which originated from Ino's table, piqued his interest after hearing the word "Gatō" and something about a mission to Wave. _What happened to that man? As long as scum like him exists, people like Yui or Shinji will never be safe._

* * *

After eating and finishing their food, Team Seven left Yakiniku Q.

"I feel replenished," Sasuke said.

"So do I. This place is nearly as good as Ichiraku Ramen," Kurama replied.

"I'm not about to argue about favourite restaurants with _you_, Naruto," Sakura piped up.

Kurama waved his hand dismissively. "Want to spar? I need to work off all the food I ate with a bit of sparring."

"Sounds like a plan, Naruto," Sakura said. Sasuke voiced his agreement as well and together, they started walking to the Third Training Ground.

"Why don't you bring Hinata along? You _have _practiced with her, before, right?" Sasuke asked.

"A couple of times, but she was always busy with Clan Duties or something, so I couldn't practice that many times. I'll go get her." A Shadow Clone of Kurama was formed and ran off to find Hinata. Kurama paused after that, an idea coming to him. "All three of us could be Clan Heads one day, don't you think?"

"Where did that idea come from?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

"Both me and Sasuke are the last members of our clans in this village, and you're essentially a Clan Heir, Sakura. So therefore, we can all be Clan Heads once we become eighteen or whatever the age is for being Clan Head."

Sakura beamed. "I've never thought of it like that, Naruto. Can you imagine it? Me, Sakura, the head of the Haruno clan! Has a nice ring to it, hmm?" Kurama chuckled. Even Sasuke was smiling. It was barely visible, but it was there. "You know Naruto, you're different from the Naruto in the Academy, in more ways than one. That Naruto would have been pestering me for dates, not thinking like this."

Kurama smiled. "I'll admit, I could have gotten the message that you didn't want to date me before, but that's in the past. Now that we're friends and teammates, I don't _need _to date you, since we spend most of our time together anyway."

Sakura smiled at Kurama's reasoning. _I'm glad that I took the opportunity to look at things from a different perspective, even if Naruto_ was _annoying, he was lonely and stubborn – a bad combination_._ Now I'm much stronger and I have two new friends._

"You've changed as well, Sakura." Sasuke said. "You're no longer that insensitive fangirl from the Academy. You're... better. You've earned your place on the Hidden Leaf's best Genin team."

Sakura blushed profusely. _I may still have a crush on Sasuke, but... he sees me as me, not as one of his_ _admirers. _

"In due time, it'll be the world's best team, Sasuke." Kurama interjected. "Between my abilities, Sakura's mind and your Kekkei Genkai, as well as Kakashi-sensei's experience and skills, if we work hard at it, there is nothing that can stop us from achieving our goals."

"You're right, Naruto. And thanks, to both of you, for believing in me."

"No, thank you, Sakura," Sasuke said, in a rare show of courtesy. "If it wasn't for you growing up, then we wouldn't be such a good team."

"Hinata's waiting for us at the Third Training Ground, so let's go," Kurama said suddenly.

* * *

Kurama was troubled by what he was seeing. He was watching Sakura and Hinata spar, but there was something... off about Hinata. She was moving with _far_ more speed and attacking with more ferocity than when she would against Sasuke or him – she would be afraid to even strike him. _It's probably her crush on me. She shouldn't know that I'm the Fox, right?_

"Alright, Sakura, Hinata. That's enough." Kurama, who was overseeing the fight, stopped them just before Hinata could place an outstretched palm laced with chakra on Sakura's chest.

"Naruto! I almost had her," Sakura complained. She would have given Hinata a heavy roundhouse kick, but when she stopped, she lost her momentum, stumbling to regain her balance.

"She would have hit you and probably caused injury. Hinata. Can I ask you something?"

Hinata, who had her Byakugan activated, took in a deep breath, deactivating her bloodline limit when she exhaled. "Yes, Naruto?"

"Are you afraid of me?"

Hinata was surprised at her crush's question. "No! I'm not afraid of you," she replied fiercely.

"Then why don't you attack me with full force? I'm wasting my time with you if you can't do that."

"I don't want to hurt you, Naruto," Hinata said sadly.

Sasuke snorted. "Hurt Naruto? That's a new one."

Hinata shrunk a bit, but Kurama continued, "Sasuke's right, you won't hurt me if you fight all out. In fact, I even wanted to test out a method to counter the Gentle Fist, but I can't do that if you're not willing to attack me, can't I?"

Hinata was taken aback. "I'm sorry, Naruto. If I knew... I wouldn't have held back. I want to help you and I'm grateful that you're willing to give me a chance, but I'm not that good at the Gentle Fist. You'd be better to ask... my younger sister Hanabi, or my cousin Neji. They're better than I am."

"Maybe I should."

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted. "How could you?"

"Sakura, if you weren't willing to go all out against Sasuke, you would be wasting your time, right?"

"Yes, but what does..." Sakura's eyes lit up. "Ohhhhh, I see!"

"I'm not willing to waste my time with someone who thinks so lowly of themselves. Hinata, I don't want to spar against your sister who's not a ninja or your cousin. I want you."

Hinata flushed. _Naruto... _"Then I'll have to start practising with everything I have, right?"

_Hook, line and sinker. _Kurama smiled. "That's the spirit. Sakura, why not take a break?"

Sakura, taking the hint, took a seat near Sasuke. Kurama stood up and took his fighting stance. Hinata took the stance of the Gentle Fist and jumped at Kurama, fighting with a fire burning far brighter than ever before.

* * *

**Author's Note**: The reason why I had Kakashi be a more serious instructor was because he has the potential to be an incredible instructor. Since in this story, Team Seven are good at teamwork, they don't have to worry about teamwork exercises (and D-Rank missions take little time to do), giving them ample opportunity to learn under, in my opinion, the Hidden Leaf's second most versatile shinobi (at this point in the story, with the Third Hokage being the most versatile). Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, sealing jutsu, tracking, inflitration, information gathering, assassination, possibly torture and medical jutsu, Kakashi has it all and more. Also, there's him wanting to train his sensei's son (by the way, stories that make Kakashi a bad instructor, but make him regret not teaching Naruto are irritating).

As for Ino, hopefully she isn't too much of a bitch in this chapter. She was acting, to an extent, but some of her true emotions seeped into her words. I have plans for her and her team in this story.


	10. Deception

Chapter 9: Deception

Three days had passed since Team Seven began their chakra control exercises. After they learned how to walk on trees consistently and effectively, Kakashi had them perform the next chakra control exercise: walking on water.

Kakashi was impressed that it didn't take them so long to master both exercises. He was especially impressed with Sakura, who finished the exercise soon after he introduced it to Naruto and Sasuke (he _was_ aware that Sakura had extra time to practice, but was still impressed regardless, since her chakra control was excellent).

Satisfied that his team was progressing to his standards, Kakashi decided to start them on a Genjutsu crash course. He arrived a few minutes late to their meeting place so he could capture all three of them in an illusion. The Genjutsu Kakashi used was a simple one: it would use their memories as a base to create a scene that would force them to figure out the deception and see through it.

_Let's see how they do._ Forming the necessary handseals, Kakashi prepared the Genjutsu.

* * *

Kurama was waiting casually with his team before Kakashi would arrive. He was late – _again_, but there had to be a reason behind it, since the clone he had stalking the Memorial Stone didn't dispel, meaning that he wasn't there.

So when Kakashi arrived, Sasuke shouted. "You're late!"

"Sorry, I'm late, Sasuke. I got lost on the road of life and had to go and find myself. Anyway, now that we're here, we can start with teamwork exercises."

_What is going on? _"Aren't we going to do more chakra control exercises?"

"What are you talking about, Naruto? We're only going to start on tree walking once we get you working as a cohesive unit. A ninja who breaks the rules is trash, but a ninja who abandons his comrades is worse than trash and besides, a team is only as strong as its weakest link."

_We're already a good team. _"Sakura, what do you think of this?"

Sakura blushed. "Oh, I don't know, Naruto. You come up with something and I'll follow you, since you're so awesome."

"What about me, Naruto? Don't you want my opinion?" Sasuke asked, waving his hands in the air.

"Sasuke, you idiot! Naruto's too cool to talk to you!" Sakura shouted, striking Sasuke with her fist. Her attire seemed... off.

_Genjutsu? It must be. There is no way that Sakura would act like _that _towards _me. _That and Sasuke acting like me during the Academy is totally off as well._ Kurama released his demonic chakra, which flushed out the external chakra inside his body, causing the image in front of him to rupture and dissolve, leading him to see an unusual sight – black tomoe spinning madly within Sasuke's red eyes.

_The Sharingan. He's finally unlocked it. _Kurama grinned demonically, more of his chakra flooding his chakra network in order to completely dispel the illusion. He found himself standing in the same location he was before being struck with the Genjutsu, with Sakura looking normal and Sasuke's bloodline limit still on, but the way they were acting was off as well.

_Fear. Anxiety. Is that what they feel when they see me like this? _Kurama let his chakra cloak, which formed when he dispelled the Genjutsu, dissipate.

"Naruto..." Sakura started, trembling slightly. "What _is_ that chakra?"

It was at that moment that Kakashi decided to arrive, appearing on top of one of the torii. "Good morning, my cute little Genin. How did you like my Genjutsu?"

"It was easy to dispel, Sensei," Sasuke spoke up, an unusual grin on his face which did nothing to hide the fact that he was trembling as well. "Thanks to my Sharingan." _I've finally unlocked it, I've finally unlocked it! I'm one step closer to killing That Man._

"That was the point. A true Genjutsu master is capable of layering multiple illusions on top of each other, or making the illusions virtually impossible to break.

"I wanted to see if you could identify and dispel the illusion," Kakashi continued. "I see that you each had a different way of doing that."

Sakura recovered from the effects of Kurama's chakra so that she could answer. "Naruto was asking me on a date constantly in my illusion, but since that would never happen nowadays, I could dispel it with ease, since my chakra control is, in my humble opinion, good."

"I saw my brother telling me that he loves me and saying that he did everything for my protection. Since that was _obviously_ a fabrication, my anger at seeing him caused the Sharingan to awaken, dispelling the illusion automatically," Sasuke said coolly. Then his gaze sharpened, which had a menacing effect thanks to the still-activated Sharingan. "_Never _put me in an illusion like that again."

_It wasn't supposed to do something like that, but I'll use a different Genjutsu next time, at any rate, _Kakashi thought.

"I saw something disturbing and, realizing that it was both out of character and inconsistent, forced my chakra to flush out yours, Sensei," Kurama said.

"Using that evil chakra," Sakura replied. Kurama nodded.

"Where did it come from, Naruto?" Sasuke asked after deactivating his Sharingan. "And don't tell us 'I'll tell you tomorrow'."

_Might as well – both of them are suspicious as it is. _"Simple: I'm the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox." Kurama replied, raising a palm upwards. _A half-truth, but good enough to suffice for the time being._

Both Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened and then, Kurama knew, they understood everything.

"So that's why Tōji called you a demon," Sasuke said, after a long period of silence.

"And why Koga blamed you for his loss," Sakura added. "And why you can barely contain your anger whenever you walk around the village, since everyone either looks at you funnily or whispers behind your back.

"Or why you have that red chakra," Sasuke said. "Why didn't you tell us, Naruto?"

"I wanted to build a relationship with you two before I could reveal my secret. If I didn't, you'd probably see me as something that I'm not."

Sakura went up to Kurama and gave him the hardest gaze she could muster, scrutinizing his every feature. "You don't look like a demon," she finally said.

"That's because the Fox is sealed inside of me."

"If that's the case, then I think that this village is stupid, blaming an innocent boy for something that he didn't do!" Sakura shouted. She smiled afterwards, "You're not a demon. You're our teammate."

"And if you think that you having a demon fox stuck in your body will every change that, then you're even dumber than I thought you were." Sasuke added, smirking.

_If only you knew the truth. Maybe one day I'll tell you everything._ "I'm glad that you guys are willing to accept me. I couldn't have asked for better teammates," Kurama said, grinning widely.

"Not that I want to ruin this moment for you, but Sasuke, Sakura." Kakashi said, appearing suddenly behind them. "This is an S-Rank secret. Under _no_ circumstances are you allowed to repeat this, understand?"

Both Sakura and Sasuke nodded quickly.

"Good. We've still got a long day of training ahead of us, so let's get started."

* * *

Team Seven were standing on the river of the Third Training Ground, listening to Kakashi speak.

"Genjutsu is a subtle art," Kakashi lectured. "It requires good chakra control and imagination, as well as a fair degree of intelligence. By manipulating the target's senses using chakra, you are capable of distracting them to set up – ideally – a fatal blow."

"So Genjutsu is better for support-type ninja, right?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, but it's possible for someone to use Genjutsu as their primary form of attack. In fact, there is someone in the village who does exactly that.

"I can't do that since I'm not Kurenai Yūhi, but I can teach you how to use Genjutsu as a supplement to your combat moveset."

"And how will you do that?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms.

"I'll teach you Genjutsu that are very effective in creating distractions, inflicting vertigo, paralysis or nausea, inducing hypnotic suggestions, traumatising your opponents by showing them false images and knocking targets out with a dose of concentrated pain. Genjutsu is actually quite versatile, but its subtlety makes it an obscure art."

"Is killing intent Genjutsu?" Sakura inquired, looking towards Kurama, who winked at her.

"No. While it induces feelings of trauma and fear, it doesn't require chakra for you to 'use' it."

_So the Nine-Tailed Fox's killing intent is so potent that it causes chakra to appear. _Sakura thought. _Getting Naruto angry won't be a good thing, not at all._

"Sakura," Kakashi called out, shaking Sakura out of her reverie. "With your excellent chakra control, I believe you have the most potential in Genjutsu amongst your teammates."

Sakura blushed. "Really?"

"I do. Even if Sasuke has the Sharingan," Sasuke uncrossed his arms, raising an eyebrow when he heard his name, "using the Sharingan to its fullest extent requires eye contact and the best of the best have counters to the Sharingan."

Sasuke scowled, clenching and un-clenching his fists to see Kakashi dismiss the Sharigan's potency. _What would he know of the Sharingan? Father always said that the Sharingan was what put the Uchiha on top and that only an Uchiha could use it, but Kakashi-sensei acts like he _has _the Sharingan._

"Do you know any counters to the Sharingan, Sensei?" Kurama asked.

"Don't make eye contact _at all_," Kakashi replied seriously. "Moving on, I'll teach you a non-lethal Genjutsu that you can use to practice on your teammates, the Optic Delusory jutsu, better known by its affectionate name: False Surroundings."

* * *

While Sakura was pleased to find out that she actually had an aptitude for using Genjutsu after learning the False Surroundings technique, she took a break to think, sitting down and bring her knees to her chest. She was worried about her teammate.

Whenever Naruto would use the Fox's chakra, she felt _evil_ emanating from it in full force. Not to mention how irregular the chakra was. Most people's chakra glowed in a blue aura if it became visible, but the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra was red – not to mention the fact that Naruto used it so frequently now that his secret was out. In fact, it seemed that he was overjoyed about being able to use it – like he had removed a mask and his true colours were starting to show.

"Sakura?" Naruto called out. "You alright?" Sakura jumped up in surprise.

"Yeah, just thinking about that chakra of yours – I mean the Fox's chakra, sorry!" Sakura said nervously, trying to recover from her slip of tongue. "It makes me feel uncomfortable, actually."

"Well, let me show you something, Sakura." The Fox's chakra appeared around Naruto, but instead of it being red like before, it was orange instead. A single tail formed, wrapping around Sakura's waist.

Feeling the tail and the warmth it exuded, Sakura voiced her feelings about the chakra. "Wow... It's so warm, like..." Sakura took a moment to think of the right words. "Like a warm summer day."

"Really? I'm glad you think so. If I suppress my killing intent, the Fox's chakra turns orange and if I don't, it's red. Sort of like a convenient colour code." Naruto paused, his tone lowering. "Hopefully, you don't think that I'm letting the Fox control me, Sakura. I am in complete control."

"I'm not afraid of you, Naruto. Like I said before, you're my teammate and friend and nothing will change that. I just need to get used to knowing that you're a demon container, ok?"

Naruto grinned. "Sure thing! Well, I need to get back to practice, since Kakashi-sensei wants Sasuke and me to practise dispelling Genjutsu without using our special abilities."

"Well, don't let me keep you, Naruto." Sakura fastened her ponytail. "Practise makes perfect, after all."

Naruto smiled again and ran back to Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei. _If someone believes that that boy is a demon, then there must be something wrong with them._

* * *

Sasuke wasn't feeling as great as he should have. While he was ecstatic to have finally awakened the Sharingan, he was stunned when Naruto told him that he was a jinchūriki. It explained a lot of things, including how Naruto was able to progress so rapidly – since he had access to the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra, he could pull off amazing feats, including that Chakra Transfer technique. If he didn't know that, he might have been jealous of Naruto's progress.

Naruto, who had (supposedly) been worried about Sakura, came back after speaking with her, continuing the exercise that Kakashi-sensei gave them. While their ability to dispel Genjutsu _without_ external assistance had been increasing and the exercise itself was going well, he was itching to evolve the Sharingan to its mature stage – he only had one tomoe in one eye and two tomoe in the other – so that he could master its power.

"You know, Sasuke, your Sharingan can be used to cause hypnosis and create illusions," Kakashi-sensei said.

_Foolish little brother..._ "I know," Sasuke replied bitterly.

Kakashi-sensei had probably detected Sasuke's bitterness, since he changed the subject. "Well, you two seem to have gotten the gist of dispelling Genjutsu and have learned the False Surroundings technique, so we'll wrap up training for today. Go and get Sakura so we can do a mission."

After Sakura joined up with her team, they departed to the Mission Assignment Desk. The thoughts of their first D-Rank mission returned to Sasuke. _Maybe that's why Lord Hokage is so nice to Naruto, because of the Fox._

* * *

Team Seven's D-Rank mission for the day was to deliver messages throughout the village. It would have been a trivial exercise for them, thanks to Kurama's Shadow Clones, but Kakashi prevented him from doing so.

"Why can't I, Sensei?" Kurama asked.

"Let's have Sasuke and Sakura deliver at least one message, so that it can be a _team_ effort, ok?"

Kurama nodded his assent. "Might as well."

"Good." Kakashi handed Sakura and Sasuke a scroll. "Sasuke, Sakura, I want you to transform into Naruto."

"Why, Sensei?" Sakura asked.

"If you want to understand, even a little bit, how Naruto feels, then transform and act as him."

Both Sasuke and Sakura transformed into Kurama. With scrolls in hand, their mission began in earnest.

After a few minutes, both Sasuke and Sakura came back to Kurama and Kakashi. "Man, Naruto!" Sakura said. "I never realized how bad you had it."

"She's right." Sasuke agreed. He had a sympathetic look on his face.

Kurama wasn't surprised. "You don't have to be sympathetic, Sasuke. And it's not so bad. Now that I have... friends, it doesn't hurt so much."

Kakashi ruffled Kurama's hair. "You have a point there. Once we finish up here, we can go to Ichiraku Ramen, sound good?"

Kurama's smile spread through his face and as he formed the cross-seal, and as his clones ran across the city delivering messages, he could only think about how his team were starting to become more than just an ordinary team.

It was an interesting feeling for him, to say the least and as long as his teammates were being honest, there would be no serious problems for them in the future.

_We'll see how it goes for now. If they are tricking me, I'll know. After all, a ninja must see through deception._


	11. A Taste of Power

**Author's Note**: Thanks for everyone who viewed, reviewed, favourited and followed my fic. I appreciate it a whole lot.

* * *

Chapter 10: A Taste of Power

It had been two weeks since Team Seven started with Chakra Control and over ten days since starting with Genjutsu. Kakashi taught them a few basic Genjutsu that only required one or two handseals to perform, including the Death Mirage jutsu. He also taught them how to apply Genjutsu in combat, so after he tested them and was satisfied with their progress, he was ready to move on.

"Team, listen up. Today, we'll be starting with Ninjutsu," Kakashi said to his team, who were standing on the river's bank.

"Finally!" Team Seven shouted, happy expressions present on their faces for different reasons.

Kakashi smiled. "Glad to see that you're enthusiastic about learning. You've learned that Genjutsu is used to debilitate, ensnare, trick or slow down the target, but Ninjutsu is used to attack, defend, scout and much, _much_ more.

"To prepare you for elemental Ninjutsu, I'm going to give you each an exercise to perform while you are off-practice," Kakashi continued.

"Does this have to do with our chakra affinities?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. I'll inform you about it at the end of today's practice, but first, I need to know what sort of Ninjutsu you're capable of."

Sakura started first. _I thought I told him about what jutsu I know, but oh well._ "I only know the 'Academy Three': Transformation, Replacement and the Clone jutsu."

_Water and Earth clones should be suitable for her until she can pull off the Shadow Clone, as well as using her strength in conjunction with Earth Style elemental manipulation. Maybe the Chakra Scalpels and some Medical Ninjutsu to take advantage of her chakra control._ "Sasuke, what Ninjutsu can you do?"

"Fireball, the Academy three and the Phoenix Flower jutsu," Sasuke stated.

_Since Sasuke has shown that he can use ninja wire effectively, the Dragon Flame jutsu would be good for him, as well as some Lightning Style jutsu. Maybe the Chidori? __He'll need to learn how to copy and effectively use copied jutsu in any case._ "Naruto?"

"Shadow Clone, Transformation, Replacement, Sexy Jutsu and the Chakra Transfer," Kurama replied, crossing his arms.

"Chakra Transfer?" Sakura asked, curious after hearing that.

"When we spar, I'll show you, but Sasuke knows firsthand the effects of my Chakra Transfer," Kurama answered. A rather hungry-looking smile spread across Sasuke's face, probably for the implications behind Kurama's words.

_The Fireball technique is a must for Naruto, as well as coordinating his Shadow Clones with Taijutsu and Genjutsu. Maybe the Rasengan if he proves to be strong enough. Definitely the Exploding Shadow Clone and Great Breakthrough_. _If he could channel the regenerative properties of his tenant's chakra, then maybe he could learn some medical jutsu as well._

"Good. We'll be reviewing how good you are with Clones and Replacement."

Before Sakura could raise her voice, Kakashi raised a hand to stop her. "The Replacement is a useful jutsu, especially when you can do it without seals. I'll also teach you different movement abilities, including the Body Flicker and the Headhunter jutsu."

"Why not teach us a flashier jutsu?" Kurama asked.

"Because Naruto, what's the point of attacking if you can't defend or evade other attacks? Let's have a spar, no offensive ninjutsu or genjutsu on your side. Come at me with the intent to kill."

Kakashi tensed for a second, then disappeared with a burst of speed, reappearing in front of Kurama and placing a knee in his sternum, only to contact a log.

"You're right, Sensei, Replacement _is_ a useful jutsu," Kurama answered. He was standing on the river, his demonic chakra cloak wrapping around his body. Forming two Shadow Clones, he had them transfer his chakra to Sakura and Sasuke, a similar cloak wrapping around them, which caused their eyes to become red with slits for pupils. The clones dispelled after they completed their task.

Sakura was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of chakra flowing through her chakra network. "This is unbelievable! Is this the Chakra Transfer?" Kurama nodded.

Sasuke, who activated his Sharingan, was shaking, his entire body trembling – with excitement. "Let's see how powerful we are now."

"Naruto," Kakashi said. "You aren't allowed to use your chakra to create extra appendages to fight with during this spar, alright?"

"...Fine." The single tail that formed disappeared, but the cloak, which was shimmering with an orange light, started to redden.

"Alright, let's go." Kurama raced towards Kakashi, who was busy fending off attacks from Sasuke. Sakura, who hung back at first, joined in the fray.

Kakashi fought seriously, due to the increased strength and speed that his team had. Sakura gave him one of her "super punches", only for him to flicker behind her, dodging the strike completely. He then knocked Sakura away with a roundhouse kick. Kurama took the opportunity to give Kakashi a flying side kick, but Kakashi replaced himself with Sasuke, who took the brunt of the attack head-on, knocking him off of his feet.

Standing up after being hit by the attack, Sasuke dashed towards his teacher in a blaze of speed, but stopped when he saw a clone of Kurama being thrown towards him. The clone transformed into a fūma shuriken, which Sasuke grabbed and threw back towards Kakashi. The fūma shuriken transformed back into Kurama, who gave Kakashi a lunge punch to the stomach, which connected. Kakashi folded into the punch as a result.

Keeping Kakashi in place, Kurama looked upwards to see Sakura, who had catapulted high into the air (with assistance from the real Kurama) and performed an axe kick on Kakashi's back, but Kakashi dispelled Kurama's clone with a chop to the back of the neck, flickered away and dug underground, causing Sakura to create a small crater from the aftershock of her attack impacting the ground. Kakashi rose out of the ground and pulled Sakura downwards before she could recover.

Sakura, who was irritated by being stuck in the ground, forced as much of her own chakra as she could to break free and when she saw two of Kurama's clones coming to help her escape, she helped them as best as she could. _Now I know how Naruto felt like when Kakashi-sensei hit him with this attack. This really sucks!_

While Sakura was escaping her earth prison, both Sasuke and the real Kurama were engaging their sensei once more. Sasuke was capable of anticipating Kakashi's movements, but he noticed something off about Kakashi. _It's like he knows what I'm going to do before I do it._

Kakashi knocked Sasuke away with a spinning whirlwind kick, which was not unlike the Leaf Hurricane, then flickered in front of Kurama, giving him an uppercut. He quickly moved way, landing in front of Kurama's clones and dispelling them instantly. He immediately went to Sakura and placed a chakra suppressing seal on her forehead in order to suppress her external chakra, which knocked her out immediately.

Believing that he taught his team a good lesson, Kakashi closed the Gate of Opening. He could feel every muscle in his body straining from exertion after doing so, staggering when he took a step. _Opening even _one_ of the Eight Gates costs me this much energy. I'll have to train more to lower the strain the Gates cause. But then again, if I didn't use it, I might have been forced to use more lethal Ninjutsu or the Sharingan._

Kakashi dug out Sakura and had a Shadow Clone take care of her. He went to Sasuke to check for injuries, but noticed that Sasuke looked no worse than he did at the start of training. _It must be because of the regenerative properties of the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra. _Kurama was still standing, body tensed.

"Naruto, the spar's over. Good job, by the way," Kakashi said.

Kurama didn't relax. "What do you mean? I lost. We lost."

"You didn't fight alone, you fought as a team. Even if you lost, you fought with a handicap and did your best." _So did I, but that's neither here nor there._

Sakura came to Kurama's side, feeling winded, but still able to stand without swaying, which caused Kurama to relax - slightly. Sasuke joined up with them, with a sour but pensive look on his face.

"All three of you have improved immensely and I have high hopes that you will improve even more," Kakashi said, eye-smiling.

Sakura – who had a layer of dust on her body and brown stains on her clothes – beamed brightly. _This isn't going to be easy to clean, but it was a sacrifice of combat. Even if we lost, we still learned how dangerous the basics were. Now Kakashi-sensei _has_ to teach us how fight as effectively as him._

"It seems that you've learned your lesson, so tomorrow, we're going to start with the basics." Kakashi noticed Sasuke scowling at him. "Is something the matter, Sasuke?"

_No one can be that perceptive in battle without a bloodline limit. _"Why do you cover up your eye, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi pulled up his forehead protector, revealing a mature Sharingan. Sasuke had a look of shock on his face. _Impossible! He has a Sharingan and he's not an Uchiha. _Sasuke was shivering in rage. _How did he get it?!_

"Wondering how I got it?" Kakashi asked, pulling down his forehead protector. "It was a gift from a friend who gave his life to save mine. I didn't steal it, if that's what you were thinking." Sasuke took a deep breath, his shivering slowing in pace, before calming down completely.

"If that's the case..." Sasuke pondered this revelation. _If Kakashi-sensei could beat all three of us without using the Sharingan, albeit with imposed limitations on both sides, then learning under him will be important, since That Man is even stronger than he is. And Sensei can teach me how to use the Sharingan properly. _"Then we'll have to train even harder."

"That's the spirit, Sasuke. I'll prepare your chakra exercises, but in the meantime, go and take a jog along the river." Team Seven ran off to do their exercise. _Now what exercises shall I give them?_

* * *

Sakura ran home as soon as Kakashi-sensei gave her her chakra exercise for her elemental affinities. Her chakra exercise for her Earth affinity was to transform a rock into clay, then form the clay into different shapes. The problem she was having was that she was instructed _not_ to crush the rock, but to use chakra to manipulate the earth and break down its bonds so that it could be changed.

"Sakura, is that you?" Sakura's mother, Mebuki, called out from the kitchen after Sakura came inside the house.

"Yeah, mom, it's me." Sakura just wanted to take a shower so that she could clean herself, as well as do her other chakra exercise: removing water from her skin and changing the properties of the water, making it solid or turning it into a gas. While Kakashi-sensei had mentioned that there were other exercises involving Water elemental manipulation, this exercise in particular was convenient.

"How was team practice today?"

Sakura stepped into the kitchen. Mebuki looked surprised, but hid it before Sakura could notice. "It went well, mom."

Mebuki's eyes widened. "You're a mess, dear. I hope that you aren't overdoing it. You're only a Genin after all."

Sakura waved off her mother's doting behaviour, removing the hair band of her ponytail and shaking out her hair. "This is normal though."

"I'm aware of that, since sewing your shirts and doing your laundry has become a common occurrence for me."

Sakura smiled playfully, "Okay mom, if you want me to do my chores, you don't need to ask. I've done enough D-Rank missions to appreciate what you've done for me."

_Being a kunoichi has done wonders for you, my little blossom. _Mebuki smiled, "It seems that your teammates have had quite the influence on you, haven't they?"

"Yeah, especially Naruto..." Sakura said. A faint blush appeared on her face.

Mebuki's smile shrunk. "I thought you had a crush on that Sasuke boy, Sakura. Something you're not telling me?"

"What?" Sakura said incredulously. "I still like Sasuke, it's just that Naruto's been so nice lately. He's really helpful and confident now, a far cry from what he was before."

Mebuki put her hands on her hips. "I always figured that that boy was a troublemaker, but it seems that I was wrong."

"Did the Fox have anything to do with your opinion?" Sakura asked softly.

"No, no. It's just that I've seen some of the pranks that Naruto's done and what you told me about him seemed consistent, so my opinion on him was low." Sakura's mood darkened. Mebuki noticed and tried to do damage control. "But at the same time, that boy can't have been the demon fox, so it's not like it was his fault entirely that he did all those things."

Sakura had a small smile on her face. "At least you see that Naruto isn't all that bad. I can't imagine going what he's going through everyday, so the only thing I can do for him is be a good friend and teammate."

Mebuki smiled, pride evident in her face. "I'm proud of you, Sakura. You're going to be a fine woman one day."

"Thanks, mom." Sakura turned around and went to take a shower. While she was showering and practising her chakra exercise, her thoughts turned to her teammate. _Naruto, who knew that you'd turn out to be such a great guy?_

* * *

While he was walking home, Sasuke began thinking about his teammate and compared their respective treatments by the villagers.

While Sasuke was left alone for the most part, he was occasionally badgered by Sympathetic people who wanted to give him a pity party, even though he didn't care for their false sympathy. While he did initially think that that sort of behaviour extended to the girls from the Academy, he realized that it was because he was hard-working and regarded as handsome that he had admirers amongst the girls.

Not that it would help in the long run, since power wasn't gleaned from admiration.

But it seemed that he should have been grateful for such admiration. Naruto had the short end of the stick when it came to village sympathy and would have appreciated the attention that he was getting, especially since he was a prankster that desperately craved attention. While he wouldn't have been sympathetic towards Naruto before, after experiencing firsthand how much _hatred_ the majority of the villagers had for Naruto, his opinion of Naruto changed.

_If I had to deal with that every day, with no parents or siblings to love or even acknowledge me, I would hate every single person in this village. And my hatred for them would be at least as great as my current hatred for Itachi – the bane of my existence. _

Sasuke's hand crackled with two jolts of electricity, disappearing and reappearing as soon as they formed. It was the chakra exercise that Kakashi-sensei gave him – he was to wreath your entire hand in lightning and make sure that it was isolated from the rest of your body, so that he didn't damage his internal organs. It was also soothing to an extent, having that much power course through your veins, Sasuke realized. It put everything into perspective.

_Naruto was able to channel his hatred for the village into something good, so why can't I? That Man still needs to die, but I don't have to be alone when I do the deed. What was that ideal? The Will of Fire? Yeah, that's it. With useful allies at your side, no challenge is insurmountable. No remorse for the deeds that you do. No regrets for the mistakes that you've made. All that matters is that you do your best._

And for the first time in Sasuke's life since the Massacre, he felt an unexplainable force of will burning inside of him, giving him the courage to do far greater things than he could ever dream of.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I hope that throughout my story, I haven't made characters too Out of Character. I also hope that Kakashi hasn't become too overpowered - I even gave my explanation why. As always, if you have something to ask that doesn't involve future events, feel free to ask them.


	12. The Next Step

Chapter 11: The Next Step

Kurama, Sakura and Sasuke were walking to Ichiraku Ramen after a day of training. Kakashi had been called by a messenger pigeon, meaning that they weren't able to complete a D-Rank mission that day. They passed through a fenced street, where they saw a mysterious sight.

"What is that thing?" Sakura asked.

"A rock? A box?" Sasuke tried to answer, but was confused at what he was seeing.

"No," the boxed rock answered. A poof of smoke with varying hues later, three children appeared, all wearing green goggles on their foreheads.

"It's Konohamaru," Kurama answered. "Who are your friends?" he then asked.

"I'm Moegi," the girl answered. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Konohamaru's sensei!"

"And I'm Udon," the boy next to Konohamaru answered. He then bowed. "Nice to meet you."

"You're a sensei?" Sasuke asked, snorting.

"Yeah, Naruto-sensei's the best!" Konohamaru answered. "He even taught me how to use the right amount of gunpowder in my smoke bomb."

"Well, Konohamaru, it seems that I'll have to teach you how to hide as well. I have the perfect jutsu for you," Kurama said. "It's a Genjutsu that confuses the target's sense of environment – False Surroundings."

"See, guys!" Konohamaru shouted. "I told you Naruto-sensei was awesome." Both Moegi and Udon nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to head on ahead to Ichiraku Ramen," Sasuke said, both amused and slightly irritated with the fact that his teammate was a sensei – unofficial, but a sensei nonetheless. "See you there." Sasuke flickered away.

Sakura was torn between joining Sasuke for what might be a private date and staying to watch Kurama teach Konohamaru a new jutsu. She formed a Water Clone and told Kurama where she would be just in case he needed her, flickering away to join Sasuke. Kurama understood and waved her off. He turned to his new students.

"Alright, you three, this is what you have to do..."

* * *

"Thank you for the new jutsu, Naruto-sensei!" the Konohamaru Squad chorused.

"No problem, but you have to practise it, especially you, Konohamaru."

Konohamaru beamed, running off in excitement... only to bump into someone.

"Watch where you're going, you blind brat!" The person who Konohamaru bumped into was clad in a black bodysuit (of sorts) with cat ears attached to his head.

"I could say the same to you!" Konohamaru retorted. The teenager responded by lifting Konohamaru up by his scarf, scowling and glaring at Konohamaru.

"Kankurō, just leave the kid alone. It was an accident," the girl next to him said. The most noticeable feature about her besides the way her blonde hair was pulled into four ponytails was the giant fan that she carried on her back – with ease.

Kankurō ignored the girl's pleas. "I don't think so, Temari. See, kid, I hate brats like you, thinking that you're so important when you're obviously not."

Kurama rolled his eyes. He then noticed the forehead protector that Kankurō and Temari had. The symbol was in the shape of an hourglass. _Hidden Sand, eh?_

"Hey, desert rat," Kurama growled. "Leave Konohamaru alone. Do you know who his grandfather is?"

"I couldn't care less who the kid's grandfather is. I'm going to teach him a rather important lesson, then I'm going to do the same to you for that remark," Kankurō answered. Kurama whispered into Sakura's clone's ear. She nodded in response, giggling almost.

Konohamaru shut his eyes, preparing himself for the pain Kankurō's punch would bring... only to find himself next to Kurama.

"What happened?" Konohamaru asked, surprised to find himself unharmed.

"You idiot! Now look what you've done to me!" Kankurō screeched, drenched in water after hitting Sakura's clone, who replaced herself with Konohamaru after transforming into him.

"Kankurō, let's go," Temari pleaded. "Before _he_ comes."

"Not until I get my vengeance," Kankurō growled. He sent a pair of thin chakra strings towards Konohamaru and Kurama, but they were cut short by a pair of shuriken, which embedded themselves in the fence.

"Naruto, I can't leave you alone for a second, can I?" Sasuke said from the tree branch he stood on. Temari seemed to blush when she saw him.

"Yeah, Naruto. You always get yourself in the most interesting situations," Sakura called out, appearing next to him. "As for you two, what are you Hidden Sand ninja doing here?"

"We're here for the Chūnin Selection Exam," Temari answered, holding out a passport with her name, picture and details on it. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of it, since you actually _live _here."

"I had my suspicions," Kurama countered. Rumours had an inkling of truth, after all. "Anyways, desert rat," Kurama continued. He had a slight smirk on his face. "Konohamaru is the grandson of our most venerable Hokage, so I doubt that you'd want to get yourself into an international incident by striking him, wouldn't you?"

"Pfft," Kankurō retracted his chakra strings and folded his arms together. "I'm the son of the Kazekage, so I could get diplomatic immunity if I wanted to. Now, where were we?" He unfolded his arms and cracked his knuckles to add to his threat.

_He's nervous – obviously bluffing. _"Is that so? I assume that what Kankurō is saying is the same for you. Am I correct, my fair desert lily?" _Apply the charm and enjoy the results._

Temari blushed slightly, "Yes, you are, as I am, in fact, the Kazekage's daughter." She froze up when she heard a gravelly voice. So did Kankurō.

"You two are a disgrace to our village, letting slip that sort of information to boost your standing and humiliating our village with your actions," the voice answered from the tree Sasuke was standing on. It belonged to a red-haired boy with a large gourd strapped to his back. He had a symbol tattooed to his forehead above his eyes – which were ringed with black eyeliner – that stood for 'love'.

"Sorry, Gaara," Temari answered nervously, an awkward smile forming on her face.

"Yeah, we just didn't want them to think that they could walk over us, Gaara," Kankurō added.

_Interesting. _Gaara appeared behind his teammates in a tornado of sand. "Who are you, tanuki?"

"I am Gaara... of the Desert," Gaara answered. "I apologize for my teammates' insolence."

"I just wanted to teach the kid not to mess with me," Kankurō grumbled.

Gaara fixed his teammate with a cold glare. "Shut up, Kankurō... or I'll kill you." Gaara's killing intent spiked. It felt... familiar to Kurama.

_Sand... those eyes..._ Kurama grinned evilly. _It looks like Shukaku has come to play. _

"Who are you two?" Gaara asked. He was interested in the blond boy who humiliated his brother and the one who looked like an Uchiha.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Kurama answered, the grin not disappearing.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke replied coolly.

"You two are... interesting. Especially you, Naruto Uzumaki. My Mother... she screams for your blood," Gaara said coldly, although there was a hint of excitement in his voice.

_His mother? Let me make sure... _"And who is your mother, exactly?"

Temari's eyes bulged out, "Naruto, you do _not _want to know what he means by 'his mother'."

"Yeah, kid, its best you stay away from Gaara," Kankurō added.

"Thanks for the advice, Temari." Kurama said, winking at her. She blushed in response. Kankurō gagged, grumbling something incoherent. "Come on guys, let's go. I need to eat at any rate. You three..." Kurama turned to the Konohamaru Squad. "can come along too, if you want."

Team Seven and the Konohamaru Squad walked away from the Sand Siblings, leaving them to think about what happened.

_Who the hell does that kid think he is? _Kankurō wondered. _He wasn't afraid of Gaara at all. He's got guts, to say the least._

_My, my, Naruto Uzumaki, you _are _an interesting one. _Temari thought, a coy smile spreading on her face.

_Naruto Uzumaki... you will validate my existence. _Gaara thought, a wicked smile growing on his face.

* * *

At Ichiraku Ramen, Team Seven ate their lunch, after Konohamaru and his friends left them to play ninja with a Shadow Clone of Kurama.

"How did you know to come to my aid?" Kurama asked, slurping noodles into his mouth at a rapid rate.

"I saw those Hidden Sand Genin walking towards you and with your friend around, you might have gotten into something... unfavourable," Sasuke replied as he ate his ramen. He smirked. "Seems that I was right."

"And I caught Sasuke turning around before he could get here," Sakura added, munching on a piece of meat. "Speaking of which, Naruto, what was that whole thing with Temari?"

Kurama shrugged. "I'm not sure, really. Maybe I was mesmerized with her beauty, or more likely, I wanted to get information and I knew that Kankurō wasn't willing to give it." Kurama paused, a curious grin on his face. "Why? Were you jealous, Sakura?"

"...Of course not, Naruto. You have the right to flirt with whoever you want to," Sakura said after a long pause, faintly blushing.

"You're right. I do have the right, don't I?" _It doesn't matter anyway. Temari won't feel anything but fear if I told her who I really was – it would be worse than what she feels for Shukaku's container. Same goes for Sakura, Hinata, Ayame and any other girl I know that I'm friends with._

* * *

"Team, I've nominated you for the Chūnin Selection Exams," Kakashi said the next day. "You've been practising diligently for nearly three months, so this will be a good opportunity to test your skills against the most promising Genin sent here." He handed each of his students a sheet of paper detailing his nomination for them.

"As always, entering the exam is your decision. If you really feel that you don't want to, then don't worry – you can try again in six months. If you do want to, bring the page I gave you to room 301 at the Ninja Academy at three in the afternoon, five days from now."

"Is anyone going to chicken out of this?" Kurama asked.

"Not on your life, Naruto!" Sakura said proudly. Sasuke simply nodded, a thin smile on his face.

"Looks like that you don't have to worry about not having someone being a coward, huh? Anyway, you don't have to do missions from now until the end of the exam next month. We'll still meet here to practise techniques and spar – you can ask any questions you want as well and I will answer them to the best of my ability," Kakashi said.

"Do you think we're ready, Sensei?" Sakura asked nervously.

"Let me put it this way, Sakura," Kakashi replied. "If I didn't, I would have never nominated you three in the first place." Sakura beamed, inspired by her sensei's confidence in her.

"I have something to do, so training's cancelled for today. Take a break, you guys deserve it. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Kakashi said, disappearing in a whirlwind of fire.

_Show-off_. Kurama thought. He could tell that his sentiments were shared by his teammates.

* * *

Kurama was walking home where he felt the familiar feel of chakra infiltrating his chakra network, attempting to change what he was seeing. Casually expunging the external chakra by forming the ram seal, he found himself in front of the Konohamaru Squad.

"Seems that you can do the jutsu," Kurama said. "Nice job."

"Thanks, Sensei! Now teach us another jutsu, maybe that flicker thing that your teammates did," Konohamaru said.

"Not until you can walk on water," Kurama said seriously. "You need a good control of your chakra before you can use the Body Flicker." _The False Surroundings jutsu is the easiest Genjutsu I know, so it wasn't so difficult to teach it to these kids._

"Is there another jutsu you can teach us, Naruto-sensei?" Udon asked.

"I can teach you the Replacement jutsu, where you replace yourself with an inanimate object, or if you're good enough, another person." Kurama was pleased to see his new "students'" eyes light up with excitement.

"Unfortunately for you, if you want to teach them another jutsu, then you'll have to get them first!" The distorted voice came from a man with a bamboo hat and a forehead protector with four vertical lines etched onto it. He appeared behind Moegi and picked her up, running up the nearest building and escaping onto the rooftops.

"Naruto! Konohamaru! Udon! Help me!" Moegi screamed.

"Konohamaru, Udon! Follow my Shadow Clone!" Kurama ordered, forming a Shadow Clone immediately. He chased after the rogue ninja kidnapper soon after, an orange-red chakra cloak bubbling into life.

* * *

The rogue ninja was fast, but Kurama managed to get to him before he could escape, replacing Moegi with an Exploding Shadow Clone, then flickering away with Moegi and making the clone explode. The explosion was concussive and (thankfully) didn't cause any damage to the rooftop, but swept the ninja off of his feet regardless. Forming another Shadow Clone, Kurama had it protect Moegi – who was starstruck at Kurama's display of Ninjutsu – while he went to interrogate the rogue ninja.

"Who are you?" Kurama asked. He grabbed the ninja with an orange chakra arm, hoisting him up in the air. "Answer me!"

"Naruto... I'm surprised at how far you've come," the ninja said, his voice changing.

_That voice... it can't be! _"Iruka-sensei?" Kurama released his grip on his former teacher. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I wasn't sure that you'd be ready for the Chūnin Exam, so I wanted to test you, but... I'm surprised. You've never shown this much brutality and pragmatic efficiency before," Iruka said, transforming back to normal.

"It was thanks to Kakashi-sensei's teachings and a bit of... inspiration. Moegi's my new student, Iruka-sensei and she's pretty talented. It'd be a shame to lose her to some wayward ninja out of his depth, wouldn't it?"

Iruka smiled, ignoring the 'out of depth' comment. "You've grown up by quite a bit as well, Naruto. I'm proud to have been your teacher. Just do me a favour, Naruto."

"What is it?" Kurama asked.

"Show the entire world who Naruto Uzumaki really is," Iruka smirked deviously.

_And take the next step to obtaining my freedom. _Kurama grinned widely. "Of course, Iruka-sensei. Of course."

* * *

**Author's Note**: And so the Chūnin Exam rolls along. I won't be doing any original events for the exam, since I think that for that to happen, the exam itself has to be influenced in-universe - and there's no reason for that to happen. Regardless, I'll try to keep the events interesting and change them up where I can, so stay tuned.


	13. Academy Reunion

**Author's Note**: Thanks to the Guest who reviewed, as well as everybody who viewed, followed and favourited, as well as adding the fic to a community. I appreciate it.

thor94 - Since I can't answer you through PM, here's my answer: Naruto's soul was taken by the Shinigami. Why Kurama grew up as Naruto until Mizuki told him he was the Fox will be revealed later. Thanks for reviewing.

* * *

Chapter 12: Academy Reunion

_The Next Day_

"Say, were you attacked by a weird ninja yesterday, wearing a bamboo hat and a forehead protector with the symbol for Hidden Rain?" Sakura asked. She was sparring with Sasuke again, fending off a Fireball by replacing herself with an Earth Clone, which managed to stay intact.

"Yeah," Sasuke blocked the punch Sakura's clone gave him, creating a concentrated flame from the tips of his joined index and middle fingers, slicing off the clone's wrist, then backflipping, slicing upwards with the momentum. The clone fell apart, bisected vertically.

"The ninja wanted to prevent us from taking the Chūnin Exam, but laid off once we overcame his challenge," Sakura informed her teammates. She infused her fists with Earth chakra, converting the ground beneath Sasuke into mud soon afterwards.

"It wasn't much of a challenge, though," Sasuke retorted. He ignored the muddy ground, flickering behind Sakura and placing a hand crackling with Lightning chakra onto Sakura's shoulder. Sakura countered by grabbing Sasuke's wrist before he could do so, bypassing his hand – which wouldn't have done her any good, due to Lightning being strong against Earth.

"Iruka-sensei only wanted to test us, since he must have been afraid for our safety in the Exam or something," Kurama piped up.

"The ninja was Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked, looking at Kurama for a single second. Sasuke took Sakura's temporary distraction to place one of his chakra-laced fingers on Sakura's fists, causing her hand to numb up in shock.

"Most probably – don't get distracted, Sakura. It'll cost you your life," Sasuke said, interrupting Kurama. He used his Lightning hand to deliver a palm thrust to Sakura's torso, which shocked her, causing her to shriek in pain before slumping onto the ground.

"I hope you didn't give Sakura a literal example, Sasuke," Kakashi said, overseeing the spar. _It seems that Iruka _still _isn't confident in his students, but hopefully my Team put it in his head that they're ready for nearly anything the Exam can dish out. _

Sakura lay on the ground, her body numb from being shocked. "You were saying, Naruto?"

Kurama stood up, walking over to Sakura and placing a hand on her, transferring some of his chakra to speed up the healing process caused by Sasuke's attack. "I managed to catch him before he could get away and he revealed his identity to me. We all faced the same person, so therefore, it was Iruka-sensei."

"Nice insight, Naruto. As for you two, you've gotten good at using your elemental affinities to attack with, but you must not be distracted when in combat. Taking Sakura as an example, even a moment's distraction has major consequences in battle."

"I understand, Sensei," Sakura said softly. After the numbness wore off, Sasuke came over to give her a hand to get up.

Pulling Sakura up, Sasuke smirked at his rival. "Maybe next time, you'll beat me."

Sakura beamed, "You'd better believe it, Sasuke."

* * *

It was the day of the Chūnin Exam. Team Seven arrived an hour before the Exam was supposed to begin, so that they could get in early and not draw attention to themselves. When they got to the third floor, they saw a pair of Genin getting knocked down by the guards at the entrance to the Exam.

"Let us through! We have to participate in the Exam!" the bun-haired girl cried out. She seemed to be bruised from her beatdown. Her teammate, a boy with black bowl-cut hair and a green jumpsuit, lay next to her, groaning in apparent pain.

"Sorry, little girl," the guard said. He had black, spiky hair, a bandage covering his nose. "You'd only be wasting your time in the Exam. If you can't beat us, then you don't deserve to be a Chūnin."

"Not like she would know the real meaning behind being one," the guard's partner added. He had shoulder-length brown hair that was partially covered up by his bandana – which had the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village on it.

Sasuke, ignoring the girl on the floor, came up to the guards. "Let us through, and release the Genjutsu while you're at it."

"Sharp one, aren't you, Uchiha?" the spiky-haired guard sneered. The sign next to the door, which read "301", changed into "201".

"Next time, pick a Genjutsu that can't be taught to Academy Students," Kurama growled, earning a glare from the spiky-haired guard. "Come on guys, let's leave this place before the Exam starts. We're done here."

"You're not going anywhere," the bandana-wearing guard snarled. He attempted to kick Kurama, but Sasuke replaced him, giving the guard a kick of his own, only for the previously knocked down Genin to appear between them, blocking both of their kicks with ease.

_He's fast... But not as fast as Naruto at full blast. I doubt that this is his fastest speed, though. _Sasuke pondered.

"Lee! I thought you're the one who said to keep a low profile," the bun-haired girl shouted at her teammate. Her injuries from before were nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, sorry, Tenten! I got excited at the prospect of seeing the fight and could not contain it well enough," Lee replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, as long as you don't do anything reckless, then we don't –" Tenten started to say, only to stop when she saw Lee heading over to Sakura.

"You are Sakura Haruno, correct?" Lee asked.

"Yes, I am," Sakura replied.

Lee smiled in a peculiar way, which caused his teeth to shine. He then raised his hand in a thumbs-up, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Sakura blinked in response. "Girlfriend? Me? Maybe if I get to know you better, but not now."

Lee sighed in defeat, but acquiesced. Tenten breathed in deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Lee, this is not the time for your antics." The cold voice belonged to a boy with long brown hair, his white eyes piercing into Lee.

_Hyūga..._ Kurama smirked at his thought.

"Who are you?" the Hyūga asked Sasuke.

"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking for someone else's," Sasuke stated. He then smirked haughtily, "Unless they didn't teach you that over at the Hyūga Clan."

"Watch your mouth, Uchiha," the Hyūga growled. "Desecrate my clan's honour again and it will be your Fate to fall before its might."

"Neji, this isn't the time for your Fate speeches either," Tenten said. "Please excuse my teammate, he has a bit of a problem when someone mentions his clan in front of him."

"No problem... Tenten, right?" Sasuke said coolly. Tenten nodded, blushing faintly. _He's cute. And polite. _

"No one wants to know who I am..." Kurama grumbled. _Of course, I have the feeling that my name will be immortalized soon enough. _

"Naruto Uzumaki," Neji said suddenly. "I know you. You're the one who's been helping Lady Hinata," Neji seemed to spit when he mentioned Hinata's name. "It will be for naught however. It is her Fate to be pathetic and useless."

"I don't believe in Fate, Hyūga. I believe in results. You can't deny that Hinata has improved, can you?" Kurama countered.

Neji clicked his tongue. "Perhaps, but like I've said before: once a failure, always a failure."

_It's people like you that keep Hinata from becoming something special. _"You will see the error of your ways one day, Neji. I hope for your sake that it doesn't come by my hand," Kurama threatened. Neji snorted in response.

"Sasuke Uchiha!" Lee called out. He wanted to diffuse the tension between his teammate and Kurama. "I want to spar against you, to show my prowess against the Uchiha Clan. I want to know if the Clan is as good as I have heard, or if it has fallen into mediocrity."

Sasuke was raring to go, but he turned to Kurama, who shrugged. "What are you looking at me for? I can't tell you what to do, but here's some advice: take him seriously. The Sharingan doesn't make you invincible."

Sasuke frowned. "I know." He turned to Lee. "Let's go."

Tenten pulled Neji away. "We'll be waiting for you at the real room 301, so don't be late, Lee!"

* * *

Lee stood in the Strong Fist stance in the Academy's practice hall. "Whenever you are ready, then we shall begin. This will not take long, after all."

Sasuke readied himself in his Taijutsu stance, glaring at Lee. "You're right, so bring it on."

"Remember what we discussed, Sasuke." Kurama reminded.

"Yeah, yeah," Sasuke said, waving dismissively. He activated his Sharingan, three tomoe whirling quickly in each eye.

_A mature Sharingan. Do not look into those eyes if you want to stay alive, Guy-sensei always said about the Sharingan, _Lee thought. "You are about to face the Hidden Leaf's strongest Genin, Rock Lee. Prepare yourself. Leaf Hurricane!"

Lee gave Sasuke a spinning leg sweep, which Sasuke was able to predict and dodge, only for Lee to appear behind Sasuke, giving him a spinning whirlwind kick. Sasuke was only barely able to block the attack. _He's faster than I thought. Luckily I can see his attacks before he can do them._

Lee moved away, giving Sasuke an opportunity to recover. Sasuke charged ahead, flickering in front of Lee. Lee's eyes widened slightly, but he was able to block Sasuke's punch with an outward block. Undeterred, Sasuke followed up with a roundhouse kick that chained into a spinning crescent kick, which Lee sidestepped fluidly, sweeping Sasuke's legs from under him.

Sasuke caught himself before he could land on the ground, backflipping so that he could land on his feet. _Damn it. I can't paralyze him, can't influence his surroundings, can't use Water Clones, can't replace myself and I can't dig underground. I'm limited to the Body Flicker. _Sasuke smiled in anticipation. _This is exciting._

Sasuke flickered in front of Lee, giving him his own version of the Leaf Hurricane – though it was only the second part of the attack. Lee gaped in surprise, but he only did so after blocking the kick and using Sasuke as a springboard, moving upwards like a pendulum to kick Sasuke with the back of his heel, dropping his heel onto Sasuke's face, plummeting to the ground.

Sasuke managed to escape the attack before he could hit the ground, landing on his feet a distance away. He blinked a few times, trying to regain his bearings. _What was that attack? Such power._

"Where did you learn that technique?" Lee asked after reassuming his stance.

"My Sharingan can copy techniques, but I didn't copy you, if that's what you're wondering. I copied my sensei, then I practiced to learn this technique effectively. Unlike what you may be thinking, the Sharingan isn't a one-way ticket to victory – though it does help," Sasuke replied truthfully.

"If that is the case, then let us continue!" Lee said, an excited grin spreading on his face. Lee appeared in front of Sasuke in a speed that rivaled the Body Flicker, kicking Sasuke upwards.

"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!" Lee called out. He appeared behind Sasuke in a blur of speed, his bandages unwrapping by themselves.

_Is this Ninjutsu?_ Sasuke prepared to replace himself with Lee, but was stopped when one of the bandages was struck by a shuriken, the shuriken causing the bandage to stick on the wall.

Sasuke seemed to float in midair, before descending to the ground, his Sharingan deactivating soon after.

"Was that Ninjutsu that you used, Lee?" Sasuke asked.

"It was not. It was not Genjutsu either," Lee responded, a solemn expression on his face. "It was Taijutsu. I am incapable of using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, but I will show the entire world how splendid a ninja I can be with only Taijutsu!"

"While I am impressed with your fervour and drive, Lee, I cannot condone your usage of a forbidden technique!" a man called out. Lee froze in response.

"Guy-sensei! I apologize, but I was only trying to defend my ninja way!" Lee responded. The man, Guy, appeared in front of Lee. He appeared to be an adult version of Lee, but he wore the Chūnin flak jacket and had different facial features.

_He's faster than Kakashi-sensei. He's faster than I am. _Kurama thought.

"In that case," Guy continued. "Your punishment is to do five hundred push-ups before three o'clock!"

"Thank you, Guy-sensei! You are so good to me!" Lee cried out, tears of joy flowing profusely.

"And I thank you for being such a diligent student," Guy cried out, behaving similarly to his student. Guy released the Shuriken with a tug on the wire attached to it, giving Lee an opportunity to tie up his bandages.

"Sasuke," Lee said. "I was not telling the truth when I said that I was the strongest Genin in the Hidden Leaf Village. It is my teammate Neji who is the strongest."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sasuke replied. _Neji's at best only slightly stronger than Hinata, so he's nothing to worry about._ Lee nodded, beginning his "punishment" with an eagerness that undermined the punishment after he tied up his bandages.

"It seems that we're done here, guys," Kurama said. "Let's go –"

"Hold on a second, you three," Guy called out. He appeared behind Team Seven, who were standing together. "You are Kakashi's students, correct?"

"Yes, we are," Sakura answered. "And who are you?"

"I am Kakashi's Eternal Rival, Might Guy!"

"You're rivals with Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked,

"Of course!" Guy smiled, his teeth shining, which weirded out Sakura and Sasuke. Kurama stared impassively.

_That's where Kakashi-sensei learned the Leaf Hurricane from._ "Is it true what Lee said? That he can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu?" Kurama asked.

"Yes. Lee has worked tirelessly to overcome his situation and I believe that he can go even further, thanks to his relentless work ethic and unshakeable resolve!"

_With someone like that, what would happen if I gave him some of my chakra? He'd be virtually unstoppable. _"It seems that you've done a good job, Mr. Guy. Sasuke's quite fast, even without Ninjutsu, so for Lee to hold his own with him is impressive. But unlike now, we won't show any mercy if we come into contact with him or his teammates during the Exam," Kurama said.

Guy's expression turned serious, "I think that my team will appreciate the challenge that you've set out for them. It will inspire them to strive for greater heights!"

Kurama looked at the clock – it was less than thirty minutes until the exam. "We have to go. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Guy – and informative too."

"Of course, Naruto." _How did he – oh right, he's rivals with Kakashi-sensei, of course he'd know who we are. _"Maybe you and your teammates could join us in a youthful training session some time."

Kurama smiled, "I'll have to take you up on that offer. I believe my teammates will as well." _It can't be worse than what Sensei does, right?_

Team Seven left the practice hall, leaving Guy and Lee, who was still doing push-ups.

* * *

Team Seven arrived at room 301, where they saw Kakashi.

"What are you doing here, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"I wanted to wish you good luck on the exam. Go forward and do your best, because no matter what, I'm proud of you guys," Kakashi said calmly, smiling proudly.

He disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves, allowing Team Seven to enter the classroom. Once they were inside, they saw Genin from multiple villages inside, either conversing to others or hanging in the distance. As they walked towards the desks, Kurama heard a familiar voice.

"Sasuke!" Ino made her attempt to latch onto Sasuke, only to find that she was hugging Kurama.

"Naruto, you idiot! Why would you do something like that and cramp my style?" Ino shrieked, jumping off of Kurama. Her teammates, Shikamaru and Chōji, were close by.

Sasuke looked at Kurama, who merely shrugged. "Now we're even." Sakura giggled at Ino's misfortune.

_That was impossibly fast. A Replacement? Most likely.__ But using it on another person..._ "Ino, quit being a drag. This isn't the time or the place," Shikamaru said.

"Shut up, Shikamaru!" Shikamaru merely rolled his eyes.

"Well, well, it looks like the Rookie Nine are all here," Kiba called out. He was accompanied by his teammates, Hinata and Shino.

"Don't lump us three with you, Kiba," Kurama snarled. "We're far above your standards."

"I'll have to see it to believe it," Kiba snorted. "But it looks like you're still all bark and no bite, huh Naruto?"

"Just like a dog to make dog-related remarks," Kurama countered. "Hey Hinata, how's it going?"

Hinata blushed faintly and smiled radiantly. "I'm doing well, Naruto. I hope to see you do well in the Exam."

"The same goes for you," Kurama replied, ignoring Kiba's looks of exasperation and rabid remarks, as well as Akamaru's growling.

"While I am loathe to disrupt such a moment among friends, I'd recommend dropping out." A teenager appeared, walking casually towards Team Seven and the other rookies. He had silver hair tied into a low ponytail and large glasses, wearing the Hidden Leaf's forehead protector.

"Yeah, and who are you to tell us what to do?" Ino asked, irritated at the teenager's remark.

"Kabuto Yakushi, at your service. As you can see, the Genin gathered here have come from far and wide to complete the Chūnin Exam. Most of them are experienced, making me wonder: how can a few rookies compare to hard-earned experience? I, myself, have experienced this Exam on more than one occasion," Kabuto said smoothly.

_There's something... off about him._ "So, Kabuto, how many times have you done this Exam?" Kurama asked.

"This will be my seventh time doing this exam," Kabuto replied.

"And you have the gall to tell us to get lost?" Ino rebuked. "Maybe you should follow your own advice!"

Kabuto ignored Ino's insults. "I have something to show you. Cards that have whatever information I've gathered on them. I can't say that it's perfect, but I try my hardest to make sure that the cards don't lie."

Shikamaru spoke up. "Give me information on Naruto Uzumaki."

_What game are you playing, Shikamaru? _Kurama thought.

"Ah, here we are, Naruto Uzumaki. He graduated recently and has great skills in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, with some ability in Genjutsu. His chakra reserves and stamina are off the charts. He has completed 30 D-Rank missions, eight C-Rank missions and even one B-Rank mission. His squad leader is Kakashi Hatake, better known as Copy Ninja Kakashi, and his teammates are Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. He is known for his brutality on the battlefield, leaving barely any of his opponents alive."

Every one of the Rookie Nine, except for Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata stared in shock, although the degree of shock varied.

"Is this the same Naruto that was the Academy's Dead Last? That's not possible!" Kiba fumed.

Ino simply stared. _He's... right, probably. What Naruto said before seems to add up with what Kabuto's saying._

_Two can play at this game. _"Kabuto. Give me information on Shikamaru Nara, then yourself."

Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "Shikamaru Nara: graduated around the same time as you did. He has mediocre Taijutsu skills and his Genjutsu skill is minimal, but is capable of using his clan techniques effectively. His intelligence is remarkable, though. He has completed 15 D-Rank missions, two C-Rank missions and one A-Rank mission, the last of which is impressive for a Genin. His squad leader is Asuma Sarutobi and his teammates are Ino Yamanaka and Chōji Akimichi, making this team the new Ino-Shika-Cho."

Kabuto withdrew his cards. "As for me: I graduated almost ten years ago. I've completed 163 D-Rank missions and 28 C-Rank missions. I'm an accomplished medic-nin and my teammates are Yoroi Akadō and Misumi Tsurugi."

_Deliberately vague, gives enough information to sate curiosity, but not enough to reveal his secrets. Not to mention the fact that he has virtually comprehensive information on me, Shikamaru and most probably the other Rookies. _

"Anything else you want to learn? No? Ok then. I have to get back to my team," Kabuto smiled smugly. "See you around."

Once Kabuto walked off, Kurama approached Sasuke and Sakura.

"I'll go find some place for us to stand around. Feel free to join me." Kurama waved at Hinata, then pulled down his hand abruptly – after Hinata waved back.

Sasuke and Sakura, who didn't really have anything else to say, made their leave to join up with Kurama. Once they were out of earshot, Kiba spoke up. "The nerve of that guy..."

"You talking about Kabuto?" Ino asked.

"Him and Naruto. Since when was Naruto so rude? Before he would be friendly, or brag and try to show up Sasuke, or win Sakura's affection, but now he's so secretive and best buddies with the two people who disliked him the most."

"Kiba," Hinata said. "Naruto has the right to his privacy and opinions, so if you would respect that about him, then maybe he would respect you."

"You too Hinata?" Kiba asked in surprise. _That extra training Hinata did did more than just make her Taijutsu better._

Shikamaru coughed. "Maybe Naruto just grew up. We weren't really his friends, so he has no reason to share anything with us. It'd be a drag to try in any case."

Ino was about to reply, but an explosion of metal and smoke interrupted her. A group of Chūnin appeared from the smoke – the Exam Officials.

"All right, you snot-nosed Genin, shut your mouths and listen up!" A woman with purple hair tied up into a spiky ponytail barked out. Behind her was a black banner with her details etched on it.

"The name is Anko Mitarashi, your proctor. The Chūnin Exam has officially begun!"

* * *

**Author's Note**: I took Shikamaru's D-Rank total by adding his, Ino's and Chōji's totals that were on Naruto Wiki, then dividing by three, since three total D-Ranks is pretty weak, even for him. The A-Rank mission he did was the mission to the Land of Waves.


	14. Cheaters Always Prosper

Chapter 13: Cheaters Always Prosper

Anko was irritated by her current situation. Instead of being the proctor for the second part of the Chūnin Exam like she was supposed to, she was 'convinced' by Ibiki, who for some reason, didn't want to be proctor for the first part of the Exam, to take over his place as proctor for the first stage. When she asked him why, he would reply cryptically, or just blow her off completely. _Jerk._

In any case, she had an opportunity to change around some of the rules of the Exam that Ibiki set beforehand – the changes were specifically designed to give him less Genin to torture, or test, with him, she wasn't sure at all which was which, if he was to proctor a later stage.

A flashy introduction was a necessary part of intimidating the prospective Chūnin, so she would go with her trusty banner along with lots of smoke. _Better make the most of it, after all._

"Alright, you snot-nosed Genin, shut your mouths and listen up! The name is Anko Mitarashi, your proctor. The Chūnin Exam has officially begun!" _That shut those brats up, that's for sure. _

"Go ahead and hand in your nomination sheet to one of the Exam Officials. They'll give you a tab in exchange. That tab has a number on it, which is where you'll be seated. Try and sit somewhere else and you'll fail immediately!" Some of the Genin cringed. _This just might be fun._

Once the Genin were seated, Anko started. "Do you see the sheet of paper in front of you? Good. Your exam is a written one, but it's different to what you might be expecting." Looks of shock enveloped most of the Genin's faces and whispers erupted.

"Here are the rules, so listen up! If you don't, then you'll probably fail and I won't repeat them either." Some of the Genin looked pale; at least two of them had smirks on their faces, a blond boy from the Hidden Leaf and a Hidden Grass ninja with a bamboo hat. Another Genin, one with red hair, stared into her with a piercing gaze.

Shrugging off the weird vibes she was feeling from those three Genin, Anko continued. "Unlike tests you may have written in the Academy, you start with ten points – or full marks. For every question you get wrong, you lose a point. Since it's self-explanatory, I won't be explaining it." Some of the cheekier Genin rolled their eyes. _I'd like to roll your whole head, but we'll see how it goes – for you that is._

"Since we're in the Hidden Leaf Village, I should tell you foreigners that we like teamwork over here. Meaning for this exam, your overall total will be the combined total of your teammates' scores – so don't expect to coast through the exam if you have a genius or prodigy on your team." A few Genin started to look put out. _I can't wait to break them. _Anko paused at her train of thought._ Is it wrong to enjoy other people's misery? Nah, it can't be._

"Some of you might be thinking: 'why are the Exam Officials here?' Well, here's your answer: they here to spot cheaters. We've employed a strike system of sorts for this exam, meaning that if you get caught three times, you're out! You will lose five points every time you get caught, so be careful if you try to cheat – the Exam Officials' eyes are quite sharp, you know!"

To illustrate her point, Anko instructed one of the Exam Officials to speak up and intimidate the Genin. It worked. _I wonder why Ibiki didn't want to proctor this Exam. This is quite fun!_

"Oh yeah, if you score zero on the exam, then you fail automatically and your teammates will fail alongside you. I can't imagine being the reason why my team was prevented a chance for a possible promotion, can you?" Anko winked, causing the majority of the Genin to look around nervously, except for those same three Genin, who only seemed to be even more excited.

"You have one hour, so go ahead and start." _Let the fireworks begin._

The questions themselves were far too difficult to answer – you'd have to be a genius or a bookworm to answer them – which made cheating the only option. With her viewpoint in the front of the room, she was capable of seeing everything that the Genin could do.

After five or so minutes, Anko saw the Hidden Grass Genin drop 'her' pen, smirking haughtily. _There's no way that that Genin could have finished the Exam _that _quickly, but there was no sign of her cheating, so she must be some sort of genius. _The Genin noticed Anko staring at her, giving her a wave in response. Anko smiled plainly at the Genin, then looked away. _Those weird vibes are back again. Why am I feeling this way?_

Besides the Hidden Grass genin, some of the other, less competent Genin started to stress out, their attempts to cheat so obvious that their failure would be merciful – for the Officials.

"Number 21, you and your team have failed the Exam. Please leave immediately," one of the Officials said.

Number 21, a Genin from Hidden Waterfall, started to grumble and complain, refusing to leave, only for Anko to throw a kunai at him, which struck his desk.

"You failed, Genin. Your complaints are a waste of breath, so get out! The same goes for your team," Anko growled.

The Genin and his two teammates exited the exam hall. They were followed by two other teams, one from Hidden Rain and one from Hidden Grass, but not the genius Genin's team. This one had a girl with vivid red hair on it. _She reminds me of that Uzumaki woman, the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero, or something like that. _

More and more Genin were kicked out – some were beaten into submission by the stricter rules of the Exam, others were stumped by the last question not being there, which made them fall prey to the All-Seeing Eye of the Officials. _The last question _shouldn't _be required to pass, but it most definitely is. If they were smart, they would disregard it until I give it to them. _

Anko noticed that some of the Genin had cheated in quite inventive ways. Even if her job wasn't to catch out Genin, she noted the Genin's cheating attempts in order to pass the time. Some used their Kekkei Genkai, like the Uchiha boy or the two Hyūga, who found and copied the Chūnin plants. Others, like the weird red-haired Genin, used a sand eye to copy the Chūnin plant nearby. The Sound genin who was covered in bandages copied the plant in front of him by seemingly copying the sounds the plant made correctly. _Impressive._

Some of the more... pathetic methods included one Genin trying to outright steal an exam paper from someone who completed the exam, which cost him and his team. Another tried to copy someone else's exam, only for the both of them to get caught and busted.

The blond Genin – the jinchūriki, if Anko remembered correctly – seemed to answer some of the questions, but suddenly stopped writing. After about a minute, he started again, putting down his pen after finishing his exam. _Interesting, but there was something unusual about what he did._

In the time frame after the jinchūriki stopped writing and before he restarted writing, Anko noticed that there was more writing on the paper. The extra writing disappeared just before he continued. _Was that kid able to Replace a completed exam without his target noticing? Unbelievable._

The clock's hands continued to rotate. _Five minutes left... It's game time. _

"Alright, Genin. For those of you who have toughed it out so far, you've done well, but now, it's time for me to reveal the tenth and final question to you." Murmurs amongst the remaining Genin started, increasing in volume.

"Shut up! Anyway, this question has a few additional rules that only apply to this question. You don't _have _to answer the question, if you don't want to."

"What's the catch then? What happens if we don't answer the question?" a Hidden Sand kunoichi with blonde hair asked.

"The catch, little girl, is that if you don't take the question, then you fail. Automatically. So do your teammates." Anko replied.

The kunoichi's brow furrowed at the 'little girl' remark. Anko continued. "However, if you _do _decide to answer the question, but you're unable to answer it, then you fail. Forever. Your teammates don't suffer the same consequences as you do, however."

"What do you mean 'forever'?" the Inuzuka boy asked.

"Exactly what the word means, kid. You will _never _be able to take the Chūnin Exam _ever _again," Anko replied seriously.

"That isn't fair to the people who've taken the Exam more than once!" the irritating Inuzuka barked.

"Does it look like I give a damn about that?" Anko countered, a deadpan expression on her face. She then smiled. "So, let's begin! If you _don't _want to answer the final question, raise your hand and take the Walk of Shame!"

One of the Chūnin plants – Hayase was his name – took the 'fall'. "I quit! I can't do it! Sorry, guys," Hayase said rapidly, a nearly fake expression of regret on his face. His 'teammates' followed him. Anko grinned. _Good work, Hayase. Now, let's see if the others took the bait._

As expected, some of the remaining Genin raised their hands, quitting like the cowards they were. _Good riddance. If they couldn't take the heat, then they deserved to fail._

"Anyone else? This could be the hardest question you'll have to answer, the hardest task you'll _ever_ have to take. Are you ready for it, well are you?" Anko asked, her grin growing wider and wider. Two more teams quit. _This is so much fun._

The Hidden Grass genius spoke up, "What's the point of tramuatising these poor Genin, Anko? This question you're talking about is a sham, in any case. It's a bluff, a tool used to psych out the weak. I expected more from you, instead of something as low-class as this." The Genin laughed, the laugh sounding unnatural... familiar. Anko's grin disappeared.

_Orochimaru? No! It can't be. This one can't be trusted in any case, so for the safety of the others..._ "You, the one in the bamboo hat. You fail. Get out of my sight. Now!"

The Hidden Grass Genin took 'her' leave, 'her' teammates following her. The tension peaked to a crescendo. "As for the rest of you... you pass." The tension dissipated, leaving the room in shock.

"What do you mean? Where's the tenth question?" were some of the questions asked.

Anko, who was disconcerted by the Hidden Grass Genin, laughed it off, which helped to hide her anxiety. "The tenth question wasn't a written one, if that's what you were wondering." Anko's grin returned in full force, angering a few of the Genin.

"Then what was the point of the Exam then? Was this a waste of time?" the Yamanaka girl asked.

"Not exactly. See, the last nine questions forced you to cheat, since there were virtually impossible for a Genin to answer, unless you were incredibly smart. You have to be able to gather information from under the noses of the enemy – if you sucked at it, then you were pointed out and sent packing.

"Information is the lifeblood of a ninja village. People live if they have good, _accurate_ information and die to obtain and protect it from enemies. But what happens if you have the wrong information? That's far worse than having no information, since it can lead to total annihilation.

"Unless you're a supremely skilled or dangerous ninja," Anko noticed the Uchiha and the pink-haired girl glance at the jinchūriki, and the blonde Sand girl and the puppeteer look at the red-haired boy. "...chances are that you'll be placed on a team. That was why you were scored as a team, both to see your ability for teamwork and your capability to work under additional pressure.

"Chūnin are leaders, as well as teammates. There are times where, as a squad leader, you'll have to make a critical decision that can affect your team's future – often on a time limit. That was the point of the last question, both to test your mettle and to see if you had what it takes to put the mission above the lives of your teammates, for the sake of your teammates. If you quit, then you were too weak-willed to be a Chūnin. You might have failed the question if you went ahead, but being able to take the risk shows that you have courage and resolve, which are both necessary qualities for higher-ranked ninja.

"The first stage of the Chūnin Exam is over. Congratulations, but it only gets harder from here, so don't give up and give it your all," Anko smiled at the Genin. _I'm surprised at how fun this stage of the exam was. Maybe I'll do it again sometime._

A whirlwind of darkness and what seemed to be metal came into view next to Anko, revealing a tall man clad in the Hidden Leaf's Intelligence uniform, with a black trench coat.

"My name is Ibiki Morino, and I'm the proctor for the second stage of the Chūnin Exam. You think you had it easy, but you'd be surprised at how difficult the next stage would be. In fact, I can already guarantee a 50 percent failure." Ibiki grinned maliciously. "Tomorrow morning, meet me at Training Ground 44, better known as the Forest of Death. Get out of here!"

The Genin filed out of the classroom quickly, leaving Ibiki with Anko.

_Why would he want to do the Second Stage? For someone like him, I'd figure that he'd_ want _to proctor the First Stage_. "Are you going to give me a reason why you wanted to do the second stage, Ibiki?"

"No. You'll see why I decided to orchestrate the second stage soon enough," Ibiki replied. "You did a decent job, by the way. Far less Genin were passed than I would have expected," he added.

"Is that so? Well, the first stage itself was better I thought, in any case." Anko took a pause to ponder her thoughts. "Hey, Ibiki?"

"Yes, Anko?"

"Is there a spot open in the Torture and Interrogation Department for me? Torturing the Genin was more fun than I thought. Maybe I can do some good for the village and enjoy it as well."

Ibiki smiled, thought it wasn't a vicious one. "I'll see what I can do for you, Anko. We do need some fresh blood, after all."

Anko beamed. "Thanks!" _It looks like I'm going to be a Jōnin very soon, since this job will give me the opportunity to show my versatility and hopefully, earn me my promotion._

* * *

**Author's Note**: In most fanfiction, Anko is normally put in the Torture and Interrogation Department. She's never shown to have this position in the show, so I added the last part as a sort of nod to that. Hopefully I got Anko's canon personality right, since I didn't want to write her as her fanon self.


	15. Conscience

Chapter 14: Conscience

Ibiki stood in front of the main entrance of Training Ground 44 – the Forest of Death. If he were asked to give a reason why he wanted to proctor the second stage, he would explain that the second stage took place over a longer period of time, which gave him more opportunity to break the spirits of the prospective Chūnin and strengthen the resolve of those who weren't broken by the second exam. _After all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger – and a bit more unhinged._

The fact that what he did the last time he proctored the first stage ultimately resulted in his younger brother's death had nothing to do with his decision.

Convincing Anko to swap was easy: use her weaknesses against her, never reveal any hidden gambits and stay calm at all times, resulting in Ibiki getting what he wanted. Once all sixteen teams of Genin were assembled, Ibiki began

"Welcome to Training Ground 44. This training ground will be the location for the second stage of the Chūnin Exam."

"Why do they call this place the Forest of Death?" the Inuzuka brat asked.

Ibiki grinned maliciously. "You'll find out soon enough. At any rate, I need you to sign a waiver. Read through it before signing it though."

"What's the waiver for?" Shikaku's kid asked.

"I need your consent in order for you to participate in this stage of the Exam, because there is a risk of death when you enter the Forest. Besides, I'm not the type of person to take responsibility unnecessarily.

"Before I hand you the waivers, however, I'll explain what you have to do on this test. You'll be given either a Heaven or Earth Scroll. You'll have three days to obtain the scroll you do not have and enter the central tower, which is located ten kilometres away from each of the 44 entrance gates to the training ground. Thirteen will be shooting for Heaven and thirteen will be fighting for Earth."

"What about food? Supplies?" the Akimichi asked.

"The Forest is teeming with wildlife for you to catch and eat. Alternatively, you could have used the period of time you had to gather supplies, since the implication that you would have to meet at Training Ground 44 was that this would be a _survival _test," Ibiki replied, with a slightly irritated look on his face. The Akimichi gulped in response.

"Here are the restrictions for this test: if one of your teammates die or are incapacitated, then you are disqualified. If you are unable to bring both scrolls to the tower by the end of the third day, then you are disqualified. If you look at the contents of either scroll before entering the tower, then _you are disqualified_."

"What's wrong with looking at the scroll?" Ino asked.

"There are times where you may be asked to deliver confidential documents. This test is not only a test of endurance and survival. It is also a test of integrity." A brief bout of silence ensued.

"If there are no more questions, then I'll have the Exam Officials hand you the necessary paperwork. Read and sign it, then hand it to the Official at the designated booth," Ibiki pointed at the booth to remove any confusion. "The Official will give you a scroll and direct you to your gate, where you will enter when the Exam starts. Let's begin."

Before the Genin could disperse, Ibiki stopped them. "I almost forgot. On the third day, an additional... element will be added to the Exam. Think of it as an incentive to finish the Exam quickly."

* * *

"So, what do you think, guys?" Kurama asked. Team Seven were gathered a fair distance away from the rest of the Genin, which, coupled with a Genjutsu, gave them ample opportunity to discuss their plans.

"I'm not sure," Sakura replied. "I think that there aren't many teams that we should be worried about if we do run into them, so we should target the closest teams to us."

"I agree, but I'm unsure about two teams: the Hidden Sand team and Kabuto's team."

"Kabuto?" Sasuke uttered. "He failed the Exam seven times, he's no threat."

"But there has to be a reason behind his failures. Maybe he had an ulterior motive," Kurama countered.

"I get your point," Sakura said. "But why are you worried about Hidden Sand's team? That guy Kankurō seemed to be all talk."

"It's not him I'm worried about, it's Gaara," Kurama replied seriously. "He's a jinchūriki." Sasuke and Sakura looked surprised at this revelation, but knew better than to ask their resident jinchūriki how he knew.

"If we _do _encounter them and they have the scroll we don't have, I'll handle Gaara, but _only _if they attack. It'd be best if you two knocked out his teammates so that you can support me if that situation arises. Sound good?" Sakura and Sasuke nodded.

"What about any other Hidden Leaf teams?" Sasuke asked.

Kurama smirked. "They're fair game. If we face up with Hinata's team, I'll give them a chance to escape, but if they don't take it... then they'll have to be taken down. This Exam takes priority over any previous friendships. We can make amends after the Exam." Sakura looked unsure.

"Something wrong, Sakura?" Kurama asked.

"What if we run into Ino's team? I've been trying to reach out to her, but even if she turns me down, I'm certain that I can get to her."

_Shikamaru's a threat. There has to be a reason why he was able to score above me without putting in _any _sort of effort, as well as complete an A-Rank mission. _"We'll see how it goes, ok?" A small smile appeared on Sakura's face.

Team Seven signed their waivers, waiting for the signal to head to the booth. Sakura dispelled the Genjutsu, following her teammates to the booth once they were given the signal. The Exam Official looked over the waivers, then handed Team Seven a Heaven Scroll. Kurama put the scroll inside a sealing scroll, which he tucked inside his jacket.

"All of the teams have been given their respective scrolls, so once the gates open, the test can begin proper," Ibiki stated, his voice carrying over a far distance.

The gate opened soon after he stopped speaking, allowing Team Seven to enter into the Forest of Death.

* * *

Team Seven were bounding through the trees, looking for potential targets so that they could finish the Exam.

"Found anything on your side, Sakura?" Sasuke asked. Team Seven were placed in a triangle formation, with Sasuke taking point. Sakura replied in the negative. So did Kurama.

"It's only been twenty minutes and there's a lot of ground to cover, so let's take it slow and stay attentive," Sasuke instructed.

"Maybe you should take charge more often, Sasuke," Kurama said.

Sasuke smirked. "Maybe I should. It's better than having you take charge all the time, Naruto."

"Please, if I take charge, it's only after Sensei decides that the mission is completely safe, which is almost never," Kurama countered.

"But when that happens, you're _always_ in charge," Sasuke retorted.

_You two..._" If anyone's going to take charge, then it's gonna be me!" Sakura interjected.

Kurama and Sasuke laughed – in good spirits. "You're right, Sakura," Kurama replied.

"You'd at least keep us on point," Sasuke added.

"So what do you propose we do, Commander Haruno?" Kurama asked.

Sakura blushed. "We continue with the original plan. If we don't get results, we can take a break once it gets late." Sasuke and Kurama nodded in agreement.

* * *

Team Ten were running on the forest floor. Six hours had passed since the start of the Exam and their searches had been for naught. They needed to obtain a Heaven Scroll, and the one team they found had an Earth Scroll as well.

_Man, what a drag. _Shikamaru thought. He noticed three Genin racing on the tree branches. One of them had a bright orange tracksuit and the other had bright pink hair. _Team Seven._

"Hey guys, do you see that?" Shikamaru asked, looking up.

"It's just Billboard Brow and her team," Ino replied. Sakura had been trying to restore their friendship, but she couldn't exactly trust her reasoning for doing that, since it might be a front for Sakura to take the next step in her relationship with Sasuke.

Team Seven descended to the ground, entering a nearby clearing. "Shikamaru," Chōji started, munching on one of his rations. "What should we do about them?"

"We go and find out if they have a Heaven Scroll," Shikamaru responded.

"What, are you stupid, Shikamaru?" Ino screeched. "We need a plan, since they'll be on edge."

"I get what you're saying, Ino. I already have a plan in mind, with at least two backup plans."

"Are you sure about targeting Team Seven, Shikamaru?" Chōji asked nervously. "Kabuto seemed to be especially wary of Naruto."

"Kabuto's just a show-off and a jerk who's in way over his head, Chōji," Ino answered haughtily.

"So you're saying Kabuto was wrong?" Shikamaru asked. "He got my information right."

"Yeah, but you haven't improved that much from the Academy. From what he showed for Naruto, it had stats that would fit a seasoned Chūnin. Naruto's the Dead Last. There is _no way_ that he could have improved so much in three months," Ino replied. _Besides, any one who wears that... _thing_ deserves to be taught a lesson._

"You didn't see how Naruto got in Sasuke's position, didn't you, Ino? He Replaced him and I didn't _see_ him using any seals." _Though he may have formed at least one seal, or performed all the seals at a blindingly fast speed. _

Ino looked shocked, but quickly schooled her features. "So? That's just one skill. The real threat is Sasuke. If we go after them, then it'll be easy to take them down once we apprehend Sasuke. I feel bad that Sasuke has to lose out, but them's the breaks."

_There are many variables to this, but I've readjusted the plan accordingly. _"This isn't going to be easy, but hopefully it all goes to plan. So are you in?"

"You know that I am, Shikamaru," Chōji responded positively.

"...Fine, whatever. It won't be that hard anyway."

"Great. So here's the plan..."

* * *

Team Seven were resting at a clearing, one with a river flowing through it. They were currently eating some of their stocked rations, with Kurama currently on watch. Sasuke and Sakura were close by.

"So," Sakura munched. "Are we going to stop here for the night?"

"I guess," Kurama replied, slurping noodles from his ramen cup. "I'll have two Shadow Clones keep watch whenever I'm not on watch. I'll go first."

After Team Seven finished their dinner and disposed of the remains, they walked towards an alcove that provided shelter, only to find they were unable to move. Kurama channelled some of his demonic chakra to break free, but words from his Sensei reverberated in his head.

"_Remember, Naruto. You are not allowed to use your tenant's chakra unless you're in a life or death situation. We wouldn't want other villages getting suspicious of our resident jinchūriki, or revealing your tenant's existence to the other Hidden Leaf teams._" Besides his team, Hinata was the only other member of the Rookie Nine who knew of Kurama's status as a jinchūriki. _She took the news well, all things considering._ Kurama let his chakra dissipate.

"Who's there?" Sasuke asked. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio came out of the alcove.

"It's just us," Shikamaru replied, looking away from Sasuke. "We want to know if you have a Heaven Scroll."

"And why is that?" Kurama snorted.

"Just out of curiosity. Is that so much to ask?"

"Well, you're out of luck," Sakura said.

"Shut up, Billboard Brow! Nobody asked you to speak, so shut your useless mouth!" Ino roared. _Man, that was a bit much. Damn it, I shouldn't feel regret for being so rude. Is it because of what Sakura's been trying to do._

Sakura looked crestfallen. Sasuke spoke up. "Sakura's right. So get lost."

Shikamaru rustled into his weapons holster and placed his hand to his neck, which caused Team Seven to mimic him – resulting in all of them having kunai placed on their necks. "You're lying. I overheard you talking about how you needed an Earth Scroll, so let me ask you again: do you have a Heaven Scroll?"

Sakura looked nervous, but like her teammates, she stayed quiet. "Ok Ino, infiltrate Naruto's mind."

_He's the dumbest one, so it'll be the easiest to get him to relinquish control._ Ino thought. She formed the handseals for her family jutsu, pointing at Kurama.

Sakura, who was aware of the Yamanaka's mind abilities, realized what might happen if Ino infiltrated her teammate's mind. "No, Ino, don't do it!"

Even Sasuke spoke up, "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Yamanaka."

Ino ignored them. "Mind-Body Transfer Jutsu!" Her body fell limp, causing Kurama to shake up. He closed his eyes for a bit, then re-opened them, an evil grin forming on his face.

Shikamaru was confused. "Ino, are you in there?"

"No, Shikamaru," Kurama answered. He chuckled evilly. "Unless you want to see your teammate alive again, then you'll listen to my request, understand?"

Both Shikamaru and Chōji looked horrified. "What did you to Ino?" Chōji asked loudly.

"Ino was simply too sure of what she perceived as reality to even think that I could pose some sort of threat. She should have listened..."

Shikamaru, who still had an advantage over Team Seven, reminded them of that. "If you don't release Ino now, then I'll kill you where you stand." Shikamaru's fear for Ino's safety strengthened his resolve.

"You can't do that," Kurama replied smugly. "If you kill me, Ino will die as well, or don't you remember that?" The Yamanaka clan techniques were one of the few non-bloodline limit techniques that Kurama researched, since preventing a Yamanaka from learning his true identity was necessary, fundamental for him to continue living the way he did.

"If you release your jutsu on me, but kill even one of my teammates," Kurama continued. "Then I'll kill the both of you, since there would be nothing for me to lose."

_This can't be Naruto. What happened to that kid who would skip class with us, or that prankster who would always provide a good laugh? _ Another plan formed in Shikamaru's mind. He rummaged through his body, looking for the scroll which would, hopefully, be on Kurama's person. Fortunately for Team Seven, he had them place the kunai they were holding back to their holsters before he looked for the scroll.

"If you try to take the scroll from me without my consent, I'll kill Ino," Kurama growled coldly.

_Shit. _Shikamaru thought. "What do we have to do to get Ino back?"

"Hand over your Earth Scroll to me and release your jutsu, then leave us," Kurama replied, the coldness of his voice causing both Shikamaru and Chōji's hearts to skip a beat.

Shikamaru sighed. _Man, what a drag, what a troublesome, horrible drag. _He pulled the Earth Scroll from his pocket and was about to throw it to Kurama, but he saw Ino's body begin to shake before he could do so.

Shikamaru looked at Chōji, who nodded in response. "Expansion Jutsu!" Chōji's body began to expand, taking the shape of what appeared to be a large ball. He tucked in his head and limbs. "Human Bullet Tank!" Chōji began to roll towards Team Seven at an alarmingly fast rate.

_Damn you, Shikamaru! _Kurama's grin, which disappeared when he saw Shikamaru renege on the deal, returned. _Looks like I have no choice._ He formed his chakra cloak, two orange-red tails roaring into life. Two chakra arms grew out, pushing against Chōji's approaching form, but Chōji only moved faster and faster in response. A third tail appeared, giving Kurama enough force to stop Chōji, whose entire body was covered in light burns and scrapes caused by being in contact with Kurama's demonic chakra. He then focused the full extent of his killing intent on the two, which caused his demonic chakra to spiral around him, forming an image of his head above his body.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru screamed. Chōji, who returned to his normal size, was knocked out, due to the combination of Kurama countering his attack successfully and his killing intent. Shikamaru buckled under the pressure Kurama caused. _How can Naruto have so much more killing intent than Zabuza Momochi? What are you, Naruto Uzumaki?_

The Shadow Possession jutsu was released. Sasuke ran forward to Shikamaru, knocking him out with a Sharingan-induced Genjutsu. He then took the Earth Scroll from him. _Damn it, Naruto. Next time, _warn _us before you do something like that._

Sakura, after seeing Sasuke knock out Shikamaru, checked Ino to see if she was alright. She wasn't.

"I don't wanna die. Not yet! I have so much to live for! Please don't kill me!" Ino's body writhed and convulsed, her eyes showing no emotion and tears gushing out of them.

"S-Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, her voice shaky. She steeled her resolve. "Get over here and knock out Ino. Now!" Sasuke, who was surprised to hear Sakura so serious, rushed over and used his Sharingan to send Ino into blissful unconsciousness. He was disturbed to see Ino so... broken.

"Naruto! How could you do something like that to Ino?" Sakura shrieked. "You had the situation under control, didn't you?" Kurama nodded. "THEN WHY DID YOU DO HAVE TO DO THAT TO HER?!"

_It took me nearly everything I had to take down Chōji. Unbelievable. _"I had to take the necessary precautions," Kurama replied slowly. Sakura came close to him.

"WHY?! EVEN IF SHE KNEW THAT YOU WERE A DEMON CONTAINER, IT WOULDN'T HAVE MATTERED! IT'S AN S-RANK SECRET FOR A GODDAMN REASON! SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TOLD A SOUL! IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE AFRAID OF, HUH NARUTO?!"

Kurama remained silent. Sasuke stared impassively, shocked to his core by Sakura's outburst. Sakura took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "What. Did. You. Do to her?" Kurama kept silent. "ANSWER ME!"

* * *

_Kurama's Mindscape_

_Where am I? _Ino thought. _A sewer? _

Ino could barely see inside the sewer; the single light was glowing in a dim yellow. She trudged forward, the dripping of water drops and her watery footsteps providing the only noise. _This place is weird, that's for sure._

She saw light at the end of the corridor she was slogging through, and ran forward. _Now maybe I can get somewhere._

Once she entered, she saw a gigantic jail, with a tag placed in the middle – the kanji on the tag read 'seal'. _How original._ If anything, this place felt... _worse_ than the sewer.

"Hello? Naruto? Are you there?" Two red eyes appeared from behind the prison, causing her to widen her own eyes in fear as she saw a head, then a body, then nine tails form around the eyes. _Is that? It is! It's the Nine-Tailed Fox!_

Ino then fell to her knees as a red haze of chakra surrounded the room, clutching her head in pain. _What in the hell is this feeling? Killing intent? That Zabuza guy has _nothing _on this freak. How is this even possible?!_

"Hello?" Ino repeated, after regaining her bearings. _Hopefully Naruto can come and maybe do something about this... thing._ Ino stopped to consider her thoughts. _Great, now I have to rely on the Dead Last to protect me. I must be desperate!_

The Nine-Tailed Fox began to speak, its (his?) voice booming through the room. "Why have you come here, Ino Yamanaka?"

"Um, have you seen Naruto? I... uh... wanted to speak with him, so that I –"

"Could take control of his body, correct?" the Fox answered, interrupting Ino. While she would have been irritated if it were someone else who interrupted her, she was so afraid that the thought of being irritated didn't cross her mind.

Ino blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah," she replied sheepishly. The Fox chuckled in response.

Some of Ino's attitude returned, "Don't laugh at me! I should be laughing at you, since you're the one stuck behind the seal while I can get out whenever I want!"

The Fox began to laugh even louder, which unsettled Ino. "Foolish little girl. As long as you are in my domain, then you can never escape."

"D-d-don't lie!" Ino stuttered, becoming more and more nervous. "Where is Naruto?"

The Fox laughed even more, then growled, causing the diminishing haze to fill up the room once more, causing Ino to see images of her death over and over and over again.

"Naruto, huh?" The Fox mocked. It chuckled again. "I don't see Naruto over here, do you?"

Ino was barely able to look around, her head pounding in pain was the cause of that. Tears of despair flowed profusely from her eyes. "N-n-n-no... I can't... So does that mean that Naruto is... gone?"

"If that's what you want to think, then go ahead. In any case, you're going to die here, Yamanaka, so it won't matter." The haze of chakra became more toxic, which caused Ino to scream in agony.

"Please! Stop this! I'll never be rude to Naruto again. I'll be friends with Sakura if I have to. I'll give Naruto's team the Earth Scroll like they wanted. SO PLEASE! STOP THIS!" Ino screamed desperately.

"What happens if Shikamaru reneges on the deal? Then what? See, Ino, I am the one who will determine if you live or if you die. So you don't get to plead for your life, do you understand?"

"I'm begging you, please!" Ino pleaded with everything she had left. "I didn't want this! I promise, if you let me go, I'll _never_ bother Naruto ever again, I'll never –"

"Shut your worthless mouth! I'm done with your pathetic begging. I'm just going to have Naruto take down Shikamaru and Chōji after I kill you, so keep quiet! If you do, then I'll make your death painless."

Ino shuddered violently. She tried to release the Mind-Body Transfer jutsu, but it didn't work. She tried again and again, but it failed each time.

The Fox chuckled again. "It looks like you're out of luck, Ino." The Fox pushed all of its chakra outwards, but before Ino could feel the chakra's effects, the Fox seemed to stop. To Ino, it felt like something was _tugging_ on it.

The Fox took a deep breath, which caused the haze of chakra to disappear. "It seems that you've caught a break, Yamanaka. I won't kill you, but it doesn't mean that you're going to get out unscathed." The Fox stared at Ino, pushing as much of its chakra directly into Ino, in an attempt to affect her as much as possible, without causing her to faint or die.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Ino screamed out loud, clutching her head and vomiting on the floor soon after.

"Now get out of here and _never _come back. I might not be so merciful next time." Ino shuddered, gasping for air. Her hands shivered and shook when she formed the handseals to release the Mind-Body Transfer jutsu.

Once Ino left his mind, Kurama considered what happened. "Damn girl. If it wasn't for Sakura trying to be friends with her and that _thing_ that kept me from killing her, she would have been dead. I guess it would have been detrimental to kill her, though. For some reason, I hope that she doesn't get out of it _too_ injured."

* * *

"You know what, Naruto?" Sakura said after hearing her teammate's story. "You've gone too far this time! Ino's not your enemy, do you understand that? She's an ally, a fellow Leaf kunoichi, my friend!"

Kurama looked... remorseful. Well, almost remorseful. "I... understand. I'll admit I did go too far, but at the same time, it worked out for us, didn't it?"

Sasuke scowled at Kurama. "Is that all you can think of? She nearly died because of what you did. She may be a pain, but she's not your enemy."

Kurama turned serious. "The Exam's still on, guys. Once we finish the second stage, then we can talk about what I did wrong, alright?"

Sakura acquiesced. "...Fine. Let's go."

Sasuke and Sakura disappeared in a swirl of leaves, reappearing on two tree branches perched high above the ground. Kurama formed three Shadow Clones and had them place Team Ten in the alcove. He pushed some of his chakra into Chōji's body, which caused his natural healing process to speed up. He then placed a Genjutsu around the alcove, using his demonic chakra to power up the False Surroundings jutsu. He then formed another Shadow Clone after dispelling the other three clones, instructing it to take care of Team Ten until Shikamaru and Chōji came to.

He then joined up with his team, leaving the clearing in a swirl of leaves.

_Damn it, why do I feel this way? Is this what regret feels like?_

* * *

**Author's Note**: I struggled with this chapter, because I wanted to show that Kurama was willing to kill anyone who entered his mind or was a potential threat, but simultaneously, I wanted to show that his conscience played a part (this conscience is an important part of the story). It was also hard having Ino, a mostly innocent girl, being tortured like that (writing it, that is). Oh yeah, what Kurama did doesn't make him a hypocrite (at least, that wasn't what I intended), it just shows that he would have to be desperate to use a tactic like that.

At any rate, please review the chapter. Tell me if you liked it or if you didn't, I'd love to know.


	16. Keeper

Chapter 15: Keeper

Team Seven made it to the tower before midnight on the First Day. Their journey there was short, fraught with a tense silence, but fortunately for them, no one was dumb enough to attack them – not that they saw anyone to begin with. Once they entered the tower, they found themselves in one of the rooms.

The room had a scroll, with writing inscribed on it. It read:

_If qualities of Heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher._

_If qualities of Earth are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack._

_When Heaven and Earth are open together, the peerless path will be righteous forever._

There was a missing character on the scroll, which did not go unnoticed by the team. "What does this mean?" Sakura asked.

"Maybe it has to do with the Scrolls that we have." Sasuke answered. He took out the Earth Scroll. "When Heaven and Earth are open together..."

Kurama took out the Heaven Scroll, which he had removed from his storage scroll. "...the peerless path will be righteous forever." They opened the scrolls at the same time, rolling them out on the floor.

"Why did you open the scrolls?" Sakura asked. Both Kurama and Sasuke looked at her, causing Sakura to beam in realization. "I get it! We're _inside_ the tower, which means that there's no rule that prevents us from not opening them. There's also the scroll mentioning Heaven and Earth, which is what we have and _opening_ them was a part of what was written in the scroll."

"Very astute observation, Sakura," a voice called out. The voice belonged to Iruka, who had been summoned after the scrolls were opened.

"Iruka-sensei? Why are you here?" Sasuke asked.

"My current job is to welcome and escort teams that have completed the Second Stage of the Exam, so congratulations."

Team Seven all smiled, which did wonders to alleviate some of the still-lingering tension they felt after their confrontation with Team Ten.

"Both the First and Second Stages were designed to test you on multiple factors a Chūnin is required to have. Where the First Stage tested your skills in information gathering and stealth, the Second Stage tested your survival and endurance skills, ability to track and obtain the required item and your skills in combat. What they had in common was that they both tested your resolve and determination to continue and/or complete a potentially difficult mission.

"See, you were instructed not to open the scrolls. The temptation of doing something forbidden is a strong one, so if you were to give in to that temptation and open the scroll, you would have been knocked out and disqualified."

"Ok, but what was the point of the scroll on the wall? Beyond it being tied into the test, I mean." Kurama inquired.

"The writing on the scroll was inscribed by the First Hokage, designed to be used as principles to be followed by Chūnin and every other shinobi of the Hidden Leaf.

"We have Heaven, as in mind and spirit. If you lacked it, then you would have to study extra hard to overcome your intellectual deficiencies so that you could succeed in missions and in life.

"As for Earth, or body and blood, if you were deficient in that, you would have to condition your body so that you could be fit and battle-ready."

"While you could still be a good shinobi if you lacked either Heaven or Earth, you become far better when you are abundant in both.

"Before I let you go, did you notice anything missing?" Iruka asked.

"One character, a word, probably," Sasuke replied.

"Good. That word was 'person', which represents you, as Genin, the future – soul, in other words. You were tested to see if you have the qualities of a Chūnin. A Chūnin must know the strengths and weaknesses of their subordinates, so they must not lack Heaven and Earth. It is the combination of Body, Mind and Soul that allows you to transcend any odds, to become complete, quintessential shinobi." Team Seven stood taller, proud of their accomplishments so far, feeling that their hardships might just pay off in the end.

"You've done really well, and I am very proud of you," Iruka finished, smiling brightly. "The Third Exam is up next, so you have two days to rest and prepare yourselves for it, and you'll be staying in the tower until then. You know, I was worried about the three of you, especially you, Naruto."

Sasuke and Sakura snorted derisively. Kurama smiled. "You don't have to worry about me, Iruka-sensei. I'm a ninja, and thanks to you, Kakashi-sensei, my teammates and my other friends, I've improved more than enough to complete this Exam with little difficulty."

"If that's the case, then I'll direct you to your place of stay. Follow me."

* * *

Team Seven were hanging around the tower after being directed by Iruka, where they found Team Eight inside one of the bedrooms.

"It's you guys," Kiba said. "Seems that you've finished, but we beat you to it. Who's far above whose standards now?" Kiba added, the last sentence directed to Kurama, who simply stared away.

"We ran into some... difficulties," Sasuke replied.

"When did you guys get in?" Sakura asked.

"About two hours before you did," Kiba remarked.

"Our skills were tailored to the completion of this test, making our success only a matter of time," Shino added.

"Did any other teams make it through?" Sakura asked.

"The team from Hidden Sand came in before us," Kiba answered. "Get this, they supposedly entered the tower less than two hours after the Second Stage started. That team is insane, especially that red-haired guy. _Stay away from them_," he emphasized.

"Why should we stay away from Gaara?" Kurama asked. He was slightly amused at Kiba's fear of the jinchūriki.

"He's a monster, he killed the team that faced them without batting an eye. All of them."

"How?"

"What do you mean, how? He crushed them with sand, then muttered something about not being satisfied or something." Kiba grimaced. "Man, how could someone _enjoy_ killing?"

_Just like Shukaku. _Kurama smirked. "You'd be surprised, especially if it's your only purpose for living." Kiba just growled in response.

"I would still recommend heeding Kiba's warning," Shino commented. "Why should you do so? Unless you have a skillset designed to counter and defeat Gaara, it will be a futile effort to even attempt to combat him."

A moment of silence took place. Hinata broke the silence. "How did your team obtain your scroll, Naruto?"

Sakura's face contorted, a look of fury spread on her face. Kurama started, ignoring his teammate. "We ran into Team Ten."

"So you took their scroll?" Kiba observed. "That's pretty cold. Only three months ago, they were our fellow classmates."

"They attacked us first," Kurama growled. "They thought that we weren't a threat, even after Kabuto revealed my information, which was an indication that we've changed. I'll admit that they nearly caught us. As a team, they were quite good - their abilities complimented one another, but individually..." Kurama let the unfinished sentence speak for itself.

"So what are you saying, Naruto? You kicked their asses?" Kiba asked.

"Let's just say that they won't be a threat to us for the rest of the Exam."

Hinata looked horrified. "You didn't kill them, did you, Naruto?"

Kurama waved his hands in the air. "Of course I didn't." Kurama's expression turned grim. "Although Ino might not be feeling so chipper for a long time..."

"What did Ino do to you, Naruto?" Hinata asked slowly.

"She tried to use her clan technique on me," Kurama snarled. "I gave her something to remember me by," he added darkly. Hinata looked pale after realizing the implications, while Kiba looked confused. Even Shino was a bit disgruntled by Kurama's revelation, but he was as confused as Kiba was.

Sakura looked positively murderous, but clamped down on her anger. "I have to go somewhere else. Can you direct me to the washroom, Hinata?" Hinata nodded, taking Sakura with her.

Kurama sighed. "I have to go and do something important. I'll see you around, Sasuke."

Kurama left Sasuke and the remaining members of Team Eight. _Now's the opportunity to figure out what kept me from murdering Ino._

* * *

Kurama was meditating inside one of the barracks, sitting on the bed, legs crossed and eyes closed. He delved into his mindscape soon after.

Within his mind, Kurama found himself inside his true body. Waving his tails around – which could be considered a form of stretching – he focused on finding another presence within the seal.

Soon after, a body formed just outside of the seal, as if it was summoned there by Kurama. It looked ethereal, like it wasn't completely there. The body eventually transformed into something looking similar to 'Naruto'.

"Impossible! You can't be Naruto, he doesn't exist!" Kurama roared.

The body completed its transformation. Kurama noted a few key differences between 'Naruto' and the presence in front of him. The presence was clad in a white hooded jacket and black pants, with a Yin-Yang symbol etched in the centre of the jacket. The presence's eyes were violet instead of blue and had no whisker marks on its face. Its hair was tinged with red along the spikes.

"Are you the Fourth Hokage, then? Answer me before I purge you and end your wretched existence!"

"I'm neither, Kurama," the presence finally answered. Its (or rather, his) voice was cool, refined. "I'm your conscience. Believe it."

Kurama laughed darkly. "Really?"

"Of course. I keep you in control and I make sure that you don't do anything stupid. I'm part of the reason why you think more rationally than you normally would, but not the main reason. You make the plans and have full control. I just provide a little... _push_ every now and then.

"For example, you were about to do something _very _stupid yesterday. In moments like that, I intervene, whether it's directly, if it happens here, or indirectly if it doesn't."

"Indirectly?" Kurama snorted. "Explain yourself."

The conscience smiled. "Remember when you wanted to kill Mizuki? And when you stopped after Iruka told you to? I was the one who influenced you to stop, by making you _listen_ to him."

"It's because he was my sensei, I respect him for what he did for me."

"And why is that? For someone who only respected the Sage of Six Paths, there would have to be a special reason for you respect an average Chūnin. What was the reason? Simple. You were attached to him. How did that attachment come? It has to do with your memories being sealed."

"What about Konohamaru?" Kurama asked. "I had no attachment to him like I did with Iruka-sensei."

"He's a lot like you, you should know that. Both of you were given a status you never wanted that negatively influenced your life. The kid was persistent, and talented too, which was probably what caught your interest in the first place, since that's similar to what you were like before your memories returned. I didn't have to do much, since you living as Naruto for twelve years, without any memories of your previous life, influenced you more than you think."

Kurama digested the conscience's words. "How long were you around?"

"I came into being after Mizuki spilled the beans to prevent you from breaking free, or running rampant and getting yourself killed."

"Breaking free? You were the reason why I couldn't break free?!" Kurama was incensed by the conscience's implication.

"Oh sorry," the conscience replied sheepishly. "You misheard me. I have no influence over your powers and I wasn't the reason why they were sealed. I'm with you, not against you, Kurama. Remember, if you die, so do I. Believe it."

_Now, for why I'm here. _"So why did I feel regret for what I did to Ino? Care to explain?"

"Remember how your memories were sealed? During that time, you gained more human emotions. Once your memories returned, I had to maintain your emotions so you wouldn't regress. Seems that the maintenance worked a bit too well..."

Kurama snorted in contempt. "At least you weren't the reason why my memories were sealed, although I do acknowledge that _having _these emotions help with understanding others. No matter how pesky and irritating they are."

The conscience's eyes twinkled. "Exactly my point. Any other questions before I take my leave?"

"What's your purpose for doing this to me?"

"Who can say? See you around," the conscience started to fade.

"Wait!" Kurama commanded.

The conscience stopped fading. "I'm listening."

"What can I call you? For the sake of convenience, since calling you Conscience would be stupid."

The conscience smiled. "You can call me... Arashi, if you want. Until next time, Kurama." Arashi disappeared, leaving Kurama to his thoughts.

"A conscience. I've developed a conscience. Unbelievable. At least it only has a slight influence over me, though. As long as it doesn't impede my goal, then this conscience may just prove to be useful."

Kurama woke up from the trance-like state he was in. _I have to go and see Sakura... but after I take a nap. I'll deal with her later._

Kurama fell onto the bed, quickly falling asleep. The last thing he saw before he fell into unconsciousness was a teary-eyed Sakura, and the last he heard was Ino's terrifying screams.

* * *

**Author's Note**: The third stage of the Chūnin Exam will start next chapter. There, I'll reveal the element Ibiki mentioned, as well as what happened to Orochimaru (who was, of course, the Hidden Grass Genin from the First Stage) and the conversation between Kurama and Sakura.


	17. Acknowledge

Chapter 16: Acknowledge

When Sakura went inside her room, she saw Naruto was just about to fall asleep. She resisted the urge to punch the wall or do something she would regret when she saw him. Her anger was at boiling point, causing her eyes to tear up from pure rage. Sakura couldn't remember a moment where she had been this angry at Naruto – not even when he would be a pest, way back when.

Was it because he did something stupid and out-of-character – something he wouldn't have done normally? Was it because he didn't protect Ino when he was supposed to? He had the upper hand against Team Ten, but he just _had_ to let the damn Fox torment Ino. She was thankful that Naruto managed to make Shikamaru break his Shadow Possession jutsu and that Sasuke knocked him out before they noticed Ino's state of disarray. It wouldn't have ended well for them.

_Damn it! DAMN IT! What came over Naruto? Even if Ino was being rude to him, she didn't deserve what happened to her. And what's probably the worst is that I couldn't do anything to save her or stop Naruto. I didn't even know Naruto was willing to treat Ino, his classmate and comrade-in-arms, like he would an enemy. _

Sakura slammed the wall next to her, causing it to crack and make a deafening sound. She then leaned against the wall, took in deep breaths, shivering angrily each time she did so. _Naruto… why would you do something so horrible? _

Before Sakura could take in another shuddering breath, Sasuke entered the room. "Sakura?"

"Sasuke?" Sakura sniffled. She wiped her eyes, ridding them of any tears. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you." Sasuke looked around the room, then sat on the bed closest to Sakura, facing her. "And keep it down, Naruto's sleeping."

Sakura scowled. "How did you know where to find me?"

"Hinata directed me here when I asked where you were," Sasuke said stoically.

Sakura nodded tersely. "How can you be so calm? Naruto nearly killed Ino, for no plausible reason."

Sasuke sighed, which annoyed Sakura. "Maybe he had a reason. It's just that he's not willing to share it with us. And besides, Ino did provoke him."

Sakura clenched her fist so tightly that she drew blood. "But why?! Naruto's not an idiot; he wouldn't have hurt Ino if he didn't have a good reason. He didn't lose control or anything, which means that he _let_ the Fox hurt her."

Sasuke propped his chin on his hand, "I… don't know what came over him back there, but he didn't kill Ino, at least. That has to count for something."

"What? You're defending him?" Sakura hissed.

"Look, I get that you're angry that Ino's hurt and I won't blame you, but… Naruto's not a monster. It's just that, whenever I see him in battle, he always acts like one, without mercy or remorse. It's like he has a split personality or something. However, I think that there's... something that keeps Naruto from fully becoming one, but at the same time, there's something that keeps him from being… normal."

"He always says that he's in control whenever he uses that thing's chakra, but maybe it's influencing him more than he realizes." Sakura slumped to the ground. "Gah! I'm just so frustrated! I want to believe that Naruto didn't do anything wrong intentionally, but… we'll just have to let Naruto explain himself."

* * *

Kurama woke up to find Sasuke lying on the bed, seemingly staring at the wall. Sakura was propped against the wall, staring at nothing, dry tears still lingering on her face. He pushed himself off the bed, walking towards his teammates.

"Finally awake, are you?" Sasuke asked. He sat on the edge of the bed, giving Kurama some space to sit.

"I just wanted to say that I made a mistake," Kurama began. "I could have handled the whole situation with Ino a bit better than I did, but at the same time, I don't… entirely regret what I did."

Sakura and Sasuke were surprised to see Kurama admit his rather profound blunder and even express some regret. "What do you mean, not entirely?" Sakura inquired, seething in anger.

"If we didn't find Team Ten, then we'd still be in the Forest. For that reason, I can't regret what I did."

"So you care more about completing your current goal than what happens to the people you have to knock down to get there, right?" Sasuke asked coldly.

Kurama blinked twice. "…Ultimately, yes. But for what it's worth, this is the first time I've truly regretted doing something. And it feels like crap."

Sakura's frown shifted slightly. "Seems that you're suffering from guilt," she said sullenly.

"Don't remind me! I hate this feeling, and it's your fault that I'm feeling this way."

"What? Don't you _dare_ blame me for anything about you, Naruto Uzumaki!" Sakura exploded.

Kurama shrugged, which caused Sakura to become even angrier. "Look, Sakura, let me explain. I stopped myself from killing Ino, which was what I would have done, because you were her friend and I felt… sympathy? I felt something like that, which kept me from ending her life.

"But I want to know something, Sakura. Why are you still so angry at what I did to Ino? If I did this to any other Yamanaka, you would have reacted, yes, but not like this."

Sakura inhaled slowly, exhaling soon after. "You nearly killed my best friend! Someone who inspired me, someone who acknowledged me when no one else would, someone who I care for very deeply. I don't know why you did what you did, but I couldn't stand being so… _helpless_ and I couldn't believe that someone that I knew was confident and fearless could end up like _that_. I was afraid that you did too much, that I wouldn't be able to reconcile with my friend for fighting over something as insignificant as a crush." Sakura briefly looked at Sasuke in apology, who nodded back in understanding.

"I knew she was important to you, but I didn't realize that you cared about Ino so much." Kurama said sternly. "I should have known where you were coming from. More than anyone, I know how it feels to be acknowledged by someone when no one else would do so and I don't know what I would do if that person were in danger, or killed."

Sakura wiped the tears flowing from her bloodshot eyes. Sasuke took the ensuing silence to ask a question he was wondering about. "So why did you start fighting with Ino in the first place? It can't have only been because of me."

"I don't know exactly. I think it was jealousy. Ino was _my_ friend and it was like she just tossed our friendship aside to chase over some boy," Sakura grimaced at her words. Once again, Sasuke didn't look fazed, but understanding. "So I wanted to show her that if she wanted to throw away everything we went through, then I would make her regret it."

_Since I'm being completely honest with myself, might as well lay everything on the table. _"My feelings for you were false, at first. They blossomed into something legitimate sometime after. I also didn't want anything getting in my way to gaining back Ino's friendship, which was I denied you at first, Naruto. Of course, you were stubborn and wouldn't get the message, so if I had to beat it into you, then that was going to happen."

Sakura sighed, taking some time to think. "…I went about it the wrong way." _And now, I might not be able to get a chance to say I'm sorry._

_There's more to you than I thought, Sakura. Far more. _"You might have made mistakes before," Sasuke finally said. "But if, no, _when_ you have the opportunity to make amends, take it."

"Sasuke, thank you for understanding me. And Naruto, I'm… sorry. I was just so _furious_. I couldn't contain my anger well enough. Some ninja I am, huh?" Sakura said softly.

"No worries, Sakura, you didn't do anything wrong. I don't really like it when you're angry in any case, but your anger _was_ justified. And take it from me, emotions are necessary to being human, so don't feel weak if you can't control them. It just means that you're a passionate person," Kurama replied, smiling in what seemed to be relief.

Sakura's cheeks tinted in a rosy pink colour, "If I'm honest, it'll take time for me to forget that you were the one who hurt my friend. Even so... I don't want this to affect our relationship, alright?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kurama said with a smile on his face. Sakura smiled as well, her cheeks still pink.

"And neither would I," Sasuke added, causing Sakura to blush even more.

_There might just be some hope for you yet, Sakura. _Kurama thought.

* * *

The next two days went by without much consequence. Not only did the overall tension within Team Seven all but disappear, the teams that were gathered maintained an air of serenity around them. The only thing that caused the prospective Chūnin to worry was the state of the Hidden Sound team, who arrived on the Third Day and were the last team to arrive. They looked like they had faced an epic battle, even though physically, they looked no worse for wear.

"What the hell happened to you?" Kiba asked the apparent leader of the team, Dosu. The teams were gathered in a room smaller than the entrance room, but big enough to fit them all comfortably.

"That place became like... Hell. It just happened suddenly. One moment we were heading towards the tower, the next, we were hit with many different illusions and tricks," Zaku, Dosu's teammate replied for him.

"Which inspired us to rush to the tower," Dosu added. "It's good we made it, though."

"It was some damn good inspiration," Kin, Dosu's female teammate, said bluntly. "I would feel bad for the other teams that were caught in that illusion, but I really don't."

"It seems that whoever was caught in that illusion, deserved their Fate," Neji cut in. His team arrived in the middle of the Second Day.

Sakura, who had calmed down mostly, did not take Neji's cold-hearted remark sitting down. "Shut up, Neji! You don't have _any_ right to say who deserves anything."

Neji smirked, which did nothing to temper's Sakura's foul mood. "Neji, that was pretty low, even for you," Tenten chided. She noted Sakura's mood lighten. "Don't worry about him, Sakura, he's always like that."

Sakura smiled at Tenten for defending her. She returned to conversing with her teammates, but before she did, she saw Kabuto staring at her team, but ignored it. _Maybe he was just amused._

* * *

At the end of the Third Day, the eighteen remaining Genin assembled in the tower's largest room, an arena of sorts with two balconies on either side and a statue that stood as tall as the room did. The Hokage, Anko, Ibiki and a third proctor stood in front of the Genin teams' six Jōnin-sensei.

Ibiki stepped forward. He seemed to be exhausted, but at the same time, he ignored it. "Well done, Genin. Since you've already been told about the purpose of the Second Stage, I won't need to explain it. I will allow Lord Hokage to explain the Third Stage." Before he could return to his position, he added an addendum. "I hope that you enjoyed the extra part of the exam, if you were there to experience it," he then smirked. The Hidden Sound team tensed up in response.

The Hokage began his speech, taking a step forward. "Allow me to explain why we have these exams in the first place, even though Chūnin can be promoted outside of these exams..."

The Hokage began to explain about how the Chūnin Selection Exams were used as a substitute for longer wars by selecting only their best warriors to perform mortal combat in a contained arena. How they were created to foster better relationships with allies and how they were used to show a nation's potential military strength.

"...You will fight for the pride of your nation and do so in front of invited dignitaries, who are more likely than not fully capable of influencing your future as a shinobi..." The Hokage continued. "Your performance in the Third Stage acts as a representation of your country's strength, so remember that you are not just fighting for your own future, but the future of your entire village.

"Now I'll let the proctor for the Third Stage of the Chūnin Selection Exam, Hayate Gekkō, to explain the instructions that you have to follow for this stage," the Hokage said.

The Hokage took a step backwards, allowing Hayate to start. He coughed into his hand, which added to his sickly features. Despite his apparent sickness, he seemed to move with grace and the fact that he was wearing the Hidden Leaf Chūnin uniform showed that he was capable in spite of any ailments he may have been suffering.

"There are simply too many of you here for the Third Stage to begin proper. Since we do not want to waste the time of the audience when they arrive, we will have a preliminary. Said preliminary will consist of one-on-one matches. We will be starting immediately, so this is your chance to bow out if you must."

A moment of silence ensued. Kabuto was about to raise his hand, but a cold stare from one of the Jōnin stopped him in his tracks.

"If that's the case," Hayate said. "Then we shall start with the preliminary. We will have nine matches for the eighteen of you. If you win, then you go on to the Third Stage. I will determine who wins, but as a rule of thumb, you should aim to incapacitate or, if necessary, kill your opponent. If you're worried about dying, I will try my best to make sure that does not happen.

"The opponents are chosen at random, and will appear on the electronic display on the wall." The display flickered on, showing two names.

_Sasuke Uchiha vs. Dosu Kinuta_.

* * *

Orochimaru was pleased to see that one of his pawns would be fighting against Sasuke. Since he was incapable of entering the Forest of Death without arousing further suspicion due to his disqualification in the First Stage, he settled for seeing Sasuke's progress for himself without having to fight, acting as Dosu's Jōnin-sensei.

_After all, it would be nearly impossible for Sasuke to defeat me now, so it would be a fruitless effort to have chased after him and roughhoused him. I wouldn't have learned anything and Sasuke might have been killed accidentally. _

He was thankful that he allowed Anko to leave him all those years ago, since she didn't prove to be as useless as he thought she would be.

The fight began. Dosu charged in quickly, aiming his Melody Arm at Sasuke. Sasuke blocked it casually, but the Melody Arm did its work, causing Sasuke to shake violently. Blood seeped from his ear and he dropped to his knees, clutching his forehead in an attempt to quell the constant pounding of his head.

"Even a glancing blow will do major damage to you, Uchiha," Dosu gloated. "That is the power of my Melody Arm." Sasuke staggered up to his feet, wobbling slightly. Once he appeared to regain his bearings, he smiled, seemingly grateful for Dosu giving him a chance to fight again.

_Exactly as planned. Now we'll see if Sasuke will be a worthy vessel for me._

* * *

Sasuke was irritated by Dosu's attack. It felt like someone hit a gong next to his ear repeatedly, or inflicted a vertigo-based Genjutsu on him and he couldn't dispel it. He activated his Sharingan, with the intention to finish the fight as soon as possible.

"That attack won't work on me again, understand?" Sasuke threatened, pulling out a shuriken. His arm was shaky, but he focused and threw the shuriken at Dosu, but it missed its trajectory. Seemingly frustrated, he threw three more shuriken, secretly adding three more shuriken by using the Shadow Shuriken jutsu.

"Come on, Uchiha, I thought you were the elite of your clan. Guess I was wrong," Dosu taunted.

_He'll pay for that. _The extra shuriken were on target, nicking Dosu's shoulders and leg. He jumped up and threw a fūma shuriken, just over Dosu's head, which he ducked under in spite of the windmill shuriken's trajectory. The fūma shuriken transformed into a Water Clone of Sasuke, who immediately replaced himself with the original.

Dosu charged at Sasuke's Water Clone, tired of Sasuke's incompetence. While he was slightly worried that the Uchiha had some sort of plan, his lingering frustration at being caught in that horrible illusion prevented him from thinking logically. He struck the water clone with his Melody Arm, which caused it to vibrate and explode, the water splashing on his clothes.

"Is this your idea of a joke, Uchiha?" Dosu growled. "I see your ploy, use the water clone and shuriken as a distraction while you prepare a finishing blow from behind, but it won't work now."

"You may have figured out my plan," Sasuke said, preparing the handseals for his jutsu. "But there's nothing you can do about it. Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

Sasuke blew out a flame that took the form of a dragon's head, racing along the ninja wire towards Dosu. Dosu found himself trapped by Sasuke's ploy, trying desperately to cut the wire, but without a kunai, he was unable to avoid the dragon's flame engulfing him entirely.

Fortunately for Dosu, the water acted as a shield, so while the jutsu knocked him out, he only suffered minor burns overall.

"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha!" Hayate declared.

Sasuke smirked, using the Body Flicker to return to his teammates and sensei on the balcony.

"Nice work, Sasuke," Kakashi-sensei said, placing a hand on Sasuke's head. "You didn't fall for Dosu's bait and even made sure that he wouldn't have been killed by your attack."

Sasuke smiled at his sensei's praise. "Of course, sensei."

"I'm surprised, Kakashi," Kurenai, who was with her Team, said. "Your student already knows the Body Flicker and advanced Fire jutsu, as well as Water Clones. I never pictured you to be so dedicated to teaching."

"Well, Kurenai," Kakashi-sensei replied, placing a hand on the back of his head. "I'm training shinobi, and they need to know as many different tricks as possible in order to survive. Even if Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto are Genin, they will benefit in the long run."

Kurenai simply nodded in agreement. _I hope that none of my students end up against Sasuke. The only one I see having a chance of victory is Hinata, who still surprises me with her progress, both as a young lady and a kunoichi._

The display flickered again, showing two more names.

_Shino Aburame vs. Kankurō_

* * *

While Shino and Kankurō were heading down to the arena, Kurama was thinking about what Kakashi told him while Sasuke was fighting Dosu.

"_Let me tell you something my friend told me once: _'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash'. _I've heard about what happened in the Forest and I even got the opportunity to watch it. Interesting, that technology. Anyway, point is, while you _will _tell me exactly what happened after this, for now, I'm proud that you decided to protect your teammates._"

Kurama wasn't exactly looking forward to talking with Kakashi. He was quite perceptive of things, so if he let something slip, he would risk the possibility of Kakashi learning about his secret.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Kankurō lose," Kurama muttered. "Since he likes bullying people weaker than him, let's see how he likes being on the receiving end of a beatdown."

"We'll just have to see how it goes," Kakashi replied. If Kurama didn't know that Kakashi could summon nin-dogs, then he would have been surprised. _Kakashi-sensei's truly full of surprises._

The match itself was quick. Shino ruthlessly exploited Kankurō's trick to replace himself with his puppet, having his kikaichū eat the chakra strings that connected Kankurō to his puppet, Crow – after Crow hit a kikaichū clone. Kankurō managed to have Crow escape Shino's kikaichū, shooting poison-tipped senbon at him. The senbon struck Shino repeatedly, but Shino dispersed in a cluster of kikaichū. The real Shino appeared behind Kankurō, slapping his head.

Kankurō was surprised by the attack, whirling around to hit Shino with a roundhouse kick. "What was that for?"

Shino blocked the kick, jumping away. More kikaichū erupted from his body. "You will see in a moment," he replied bluntly.

Kankurō sent Crow towards Shino, having it launch a bomb that released a plume of smoke at him while he had Crow detach two of its arms, using the blades on its tips to deal projectile damage. Shino appeared to be hit by the attack, causing Kankurō to smirk triumphantly, before being swarmed by Shino's kikaichū, his chakra drained entirely.

The Shino Crow attacked was revealed to be another clone, which collapsed into kikachū, who returned to the real Shino, who walked out of the mist.

"Why did you lose, Kankurō?" Shino asked rhetorically, hands in pockets as he walked towards Kankurō. "Because you neglected to take heed of what appeared to be a harmless strike. I had one of my kikaichū attach itself to your person, which acted as a beacon for my other kikaichū that I dispersed to move towards you. Since you did not think to attack my kikaichū, you were swarmed and taken down, ensuring my victory."

Kankurō collapsed from chakra exhaustion, but while he was unable to move his body, he could still speak.

"Shino's strategy was pretty effective," Kakashi mused. "He noted and took advantage of Kankurō's weaknesses and subtly prepared his victory, all while appearing to take damage from Kankurō's attacks."

"That's my Shino," Kurenai remarked proudly.

Shino suddenly collapsed, which caused Kankurō to smile. "You didn't account for the mist, thinking it was an ordinary smoke bomb. That smoke was laced with poison! You won't die, but you'll definitely be feeling it when you wake up!"

"Draw!" Hayate declared.

This caused Kurenai to sigh in exasperation. _Looks like I spoke too soon._

The display showed two more names, which had the spectators looking in interest.

_Tenten vs. Kabuto Yakushi  
_

* * *

**Author's Note**: If you're wondering why I made Team Ten not enter the Third Stage, here's why. In nearly every story I've read, Shikamaru always becomes a Chūnin, without having to work hard, so even when he gets a reality check at the end of Part I, I believe it's not enough, since his resolve isn't strengthened enough - he could be a Jōnin if he applied himself. His character development in Part II isn't my cup of tea either, since he effectively undermines _all_ of Sasuke's struggle for revenge when he takes down Hidan. There's also the thing with Kurenai, but that's neither here nor there.

The one story I read where Shikamaru wasn't promoted immediately made him far more awesome and tough than he was in canon. I'm planning to give Shikamaru (as well as Ino and Chōji) significant growth in the story - so instead of bashing him relentlessly, he learns from his mistake.

I also had a story idea where Shikamaru and co. return from a mission gone horribly wrong and become more serious as a result. With what happened to Ino, I saw the perfect opportunity to integrate the story idea.

P.S.: Hopefully I'm not bashing Neji or anyone else. I'm just trying to show how they would act in the situation given their personalities at that point.

P.P.S: I changed around the fight between Shino and Kankurō from a win for Shino to a draw, thanks to a review from GWise giving me some inspiration.


	18. Heart of a Lion

Chapter 17: Heart of a Lion

Kabuto was annoyed. Annoyed that he wasn't able to quit and still be capable of hiding his capabilities on the off-chance he got to face Sasuke. While he doubted Sasuke was capable of defeating him at the moment, that didn't matter now. Now he had to face some girl with no apparent clan.

The girl, Tenten, looked familiar to him. He had a card of her, but that wasn't where the feeling of familiarity came from.

"Kabuto, if you're ready, then we can begin," the proctor, Hayate said.

"Oh sorry," Kabuto replied. "I was just thinking."

"Well, let the match begin." Tenten drew out three kunai and threw them at Kabuto with incredible accuracy. Kabuto dodged them, only to find he had to dodge more kunai. Even with his superior speed, the amount of kunai and shuriken Tenten threw was increasing, until she would throw eight kunai at once, with the accuracy of a master marksman.

_Such grace, such accuracy. This girl... maybe she's related to _him.

"Say, Tenten, was it?" Kabuto managed to get Tenten to stop throwing her seemingly infinite stock of weapons. "Why don't you have a last name?"

"...I don't know," Tenten replied. "I can't remember who my parents were and I was never given a last name."

"Really? You look quite similar to this legendary weaponsmaster I heard about. His name was Higurashi. It was rumoured that he was able to use the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths to a devastating degree." This caused Tenten to stare at him sceptically.

"You don't believe me? You must have inherited his talent in some form, if you're so capable with weapons even as a Genin."

"I worked hard to become as good as I am now! I wasn't given this talent by anyone!" Tenten declared. She wouldn't have anyone undermine her hard work.

"That may be so, but my point still stands. You have his ability, but your dedication has allowed you to harness that into something excellent," Kabuto reasoned. "And for that reason, I find that I cannot battle against someone with your talent. Proctor, I quit."

Hayate coughed. "Well, in that case, the winner is Tenten!"

Tenten walked up to Kabuto. "Were you lying to me? Because I wouldn't appreciate it if you did."

Kabuto smirked. "Why would I lie to you? You have a talent, Tenten. Use it to your advantage." Kabuto walked off to join his teammates, leaving Tenten standing there.

_Oh well, I wanted to quit in any case. Finding that Tenten might have been related to Higurashi was a bonus. Besides, she should have an identity to call her own._

The display, once again, flickered to show two new names.

_Sakura Haruno vs. Kin Tsuchi_

* * *

Sakura moved to the arena using the Body Flicker. While she was waiting for Kin to enter the arena, Kurenai articulated her surprise.

"Yet another one of your students is capable of using the Body Flicker, Kakashi." Kurenai placed a hand on her hip. "It looks like I'll have to step up Team Eight's training."

"As will I," Guy said, appearing next to Kurenai. "Even if Tenten was not able to show her might, I believe that with some hard work, she will blow away any competition, especially with this new revelation about her lineage."

"It looks like the match is going to start," Kakashi said suddenly.

"You should give up, little girl," Kin said, trying to provoke a response from her opponent. "I know your type, always focusing on your appearance or boys. Makes me sick."

Sakura smiled. "I used to be like that, but not anymore. While a kunoichi must look beautiful, she must not neglect her training either."

Hayate allowed them to start. Kin threw two of her senbon at her, which Sakura deflected with her kunai. When she did so, she heard a rather horrible bell sound.

"What is this?" Sakura asked, clutching her head and placing her hands on her ears, dropping to one knee.

"My special technique. I attach bells to my senbon and use them to launch my sound-based Genjutsu. You'll be struggling to even walk once it takes effect," Kin gloated, relishing the expression on Sakura's face after she got caught by the attack.

After she recovered from the attack, Sakura smirked, tightening her forehead protector. "A ninja never reveals his or her secrets. That's actually quite an important statement, since you could have beaten me if you didn't reveal your technique." She then launched a special kunai at Kin. She formed handseals to set up the initial stage of her attack.

"Sakura Storm!" The kunai changed form into a flurry of cherry blossoms, which trapped Kin in a Genjutsu.

"What is this? All I can see are petals!" Kin looked around, trying desperately to escape the cherry blossom petals, but she was unable to.

Sakura prepared the second stage of her attack. "Sakura Explosion!" There were four concussive exploding tags placed inside the cluster of cherry blossoms, which were ignited and exploded, hitting Kin across her body.

This dispelled the Genjutsu that Kin was caught in and blew her off the ground. _I can't get caught in another attack like that. _Kin stood up and threw more of her bell-attached senbon, using the Shadow Senbon jutsu to hide as many senbon as she could. Some of them pierced Sakura's body, others darted just past her. She formed the handseals to a more powerful variant of her signature Genjutsu.

"Demon Illusion: Doom Bell!" The bells vibrated at a very high frequency, which caused Sakura to vibrate as well, her body being affected by the bells' vibration caused by the bells surrounding her and the bells attached to her. Sakura exploded from the vibration.

"Perfect! Once that technique hits, you'll blow up in a shower of gore and blood!" Kin exclaimed, a manic grin on her face. "See, Pinky? You weren't cut out to be a ninja in the first place!"

Kin didn't notice that Sakura exploded into more cherry blossoms. "Third and final stage!" the supposed-to-be dead Sakura announced. "Field of the Demonic Sakura!" The cherry blossoms transformed into a giant version of what Sakura would call "Inner Sakura". "Inner Sakura" slammed Kin onto the ground with a hammer blow, punching her one more time for added measure.

The Field of the Demonic Sakura was another Genjutsu, which Sakura placed onto Kin while she was under the effects of the Sakura Storm. While she acknowledged that the attack Kin launched was incredibly dangerous - due to the damage that the Earth Clone suffered, she was grateful that Kin wasn't more attentive; otherwise she would have figured out Sakura's plan.

"I can't move!" Kin shrieked, still lying on the ground. "Damn it! It feels like every bone in my body's been crushed!" Sakura dispelled the Genjutsu she placed on Kin, placing a kunai on her throat.

"Winner, Sakura Haruno!" Hayate announced, acknowledging the universal 'kill-sign'.

Sakura beamed, using the Body Flicker to return to her team.

"New technique?" Sasuke asked. Sakura nodded. "Its effects were pretty impressive."

"Yeah, but it wouldn't have worked on you or Naruto, for obvious reasons," Sakura replied, beaming in pride.

"Kakashi, you never told me you had a budding Genjutsu master," Kurenai said. "Being able to layer one Genjutsu on top of another one is quite the manoeuvre, Sakura. You should be proud."

Sakura's smile grew even wider. "Thank you, Ms. Kurenai. A compliment like that is an honour coming from you."

Kurenai smiled at Sakura's words. She then looked at the display to see the next two combatants, which caused her heart to skip a beat.

_Hinata Hyūga vs. Neji Hyūga_

* * *

Hinata gulped when she saw the display and the name of the person she wanted to fight the least. She took in a deep breath and composed herself, then walked down the stairs to fight. While she was walking, she got shows of support from Kiba, her sensei, Naruto's teammates and Naruto himself, which gave her more confidence to go out and do her best.

When she finally made it to the arena floor, she faced Neji head-on.

"It looks like you want to fight, Hinata," Neji began. "Your efforts to defeat me will be futile, however. It will be your Fate to lose against me. I can see it in your disposition, in your pitiful attempts at composure and how you rely on others to give you the confidence you so desperately seek. You will not win today."

"Do not try to convince me to forfeit, Neji," Hinata countered. She took the stance of the Gentle Fist. "Your words do not have any power over me anymore!"

"If that's the case," Neji took the stance of the Gentle Fist. "Then words will not be enough. I will prove to you my superiority and show you your weakness."

Hayate signalled them to begin, which was acknowledged by Hinata and Neji's cries of the same word. "Byakugan!"

Hinata was able to see all 361 tenketsu that were spread across Neji's chakra network. She charged forward, delivering a palm strike infused with chakra to Neji's sternum, which he blocked with a palm strike of his own. The fight continued in this manner, with both Gentle Fist practitioners parrying attacks tenaciously, not giving their opponent an inch.

Neji was physically stronger than Hinata, which was why when Hinata attempted to give him a two-fingered strike to the jugular, he blocked it by pushing Hinata's attack outwards forcefully, striking Hinata's right shoulder with a two-fingered strike of his own, which caused the arm to go limp. Hinata moved away with a short-range Body Flicker, which caused Hinata's teammates to look in surprise.

"Hinata can do the Body Flicker in battle?" Kiba asked incredulously.

"It seems that she can," Kurenai replied.

"Do you see that you cannot win, Hinata?" Neji taunted. While he was launching himself into another tirade about Fate, Hinata placed her left hand on her right shoulder, using the Gentle Fist to restore her arm to its former effectiveness.

"Why do you attack me and belittle me, Neji?" Hinata asked. She needed some time for her arm to return to normal. "I've done nothing but show you kindness. I've always been courteous towards you."

"Because, Hinata, when I look at you, I feel nothing but disgust. My father died because of you, but you undermine his sacrifice every day of your life, just by being you! He died because the Clan forced him to; he died for someone who is weak, useless! And because of what you did, I will _never_ forgive you," Neji spat out.

"Do you think that I wanted Uncle Hizashi to die on my behalf? No! While I do sympathize with your loss, it does not give you the right to attack me and make me feel useless. You always speak about other people's Fate, determining their destiny without their consent, but you try to defy your own Fate by striving for greater heights. Your refusal to accept your own Fate is why I do not believe in your dogma, brother!

"I want to become strong so that what happened to you never happens to another Hyūga. I _will_ become the head of our Clan. I _will_ abolish the practice of the Caged Bird Seal. I _will_ merge the Hyūga Clan into one and I _will _change the destiny of our clan! And if I have to defeat you in order to do so, then so. Be. It!"

Neji's brow furrowed, which caused his eyes to look even more menacing. "Then show me, Hinata Hyūga! Fight me with everything you have and we shall see if you are truly worthy of my father's sacrifice!"

Fortunately for Hinata, her right arm was at full capacity. _I'm not fighting for Naruto's acknowledgement or for the acceptance of my friends right now. I am fighting for myself, so that I can do everything I ever wanted to! _Hinata used the Body Flicker to close the distance, striking Neji with a powerful palm strike to his sternum. Neji blocked it and countered with a strike of his own, but Hinata swerved under the strike, spinning behind Neji and striking his left side with a Gentle Fist strike.

She then struck the back of Neji's knee with a Gentle Fist strike, but Neji spun around, giving Hinata a heel kick, which Hinata countered, sweeping Neji's standing leg from under him. Neji managed to move into a handstand, but Hinata gave him a palm strike before he could backflip away, causing him to skid on the ground.

"How is this possible? Even if you trained with that Uzumaki boy, it should not have been enough for you to hold your own against me!" Neji stood up.

"Naruto and his teammates only gave me the tools I needed to find my own strength, brother!" Hinata Body Flickered in front of Neji. "And as long as I do my absolute best, I will never have any regrets!" Hinata ducked under Neji's powerful strike, taking the stand of her ultimate attack.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata declared, causing the symbol of the Eight Trigrams to appear under her.

Neji was able to block the first six strikes of her attack, and tried valiantly to counter Hinata's assault with attacks of his own, but Hinata was able to dodge them with ease. She continued to strike Neji repeatedly, slowly rendering him incapable of attacking with the Gentle Fist. She then took a step forward, finishing the Hyūga's ultimate technique. "Sixty-Four Palms!"

Neji was blasted back by the force of Hinata's attack. "How can you perform that attack? You've never shown yourself to be so powerful! Where did this strength come from?" he asked furiously.

Hinata raised her arms in a circular arc, pushing them downwards. "My father only wanted me to be confident. Once I showed him my resolve, he showed me how to perform the technique."

Neji stood up once again, in a show of bitter resolve. "Even so, as long as you stand, I will never give in! It is my Fate to defeat you today, and I will make that Fate a reality!" He dashed forward, pushing as much chakra as he could into his right palm, which caused it to take the shape of a bird.

Hinata waited for Neji to place himself in the right position, then blocked his palm with her own, pushing as much of her chakra as she could to overcome Neji's last stand of an attack, which caused Neji to stagger for a second. Hinata then gave Neji a palm strike with her right hand, which caused him to fall a fair distance away, unable to move.

"If I can overcome my flaws and change my Fate, then why can't you do the same, brother?" Hinata deactivated her Byakugan.

"Neji is unable to battle. The winner is Hinata Hyūga!" Hayate proclaimed.

As Hinata walked back to her team, her team looked on in surprise and admiration. When she did, she saw Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura next to her team.

"Congratulations, Hinata," Kurenai-sensei said. "I'm really proud of you."

"Hinata, you were so awesome!" Kiba exclaimed.

"I'm going to have to watch out for you if we meet in the next round," Sasuke said. "Nice job, Hinata."

Sakura smiled at Hinata. "I could learn a thing or two from you about confidence, Hinata."

Naruto smirked. "I always knew you could do it, Hinata. Your only problem was confidence, which you now have in spades."

Hinata beamed brightly at all of her friends, happy that they were proud of her. "Thank you, all of you. I couldn't have gained the resolve and strength to beat Neji without your help, so thank you!" _And now, the sky's the limit for what I can accomplish._

* * *

**Author's Note**: The preliminary will end next chapter. I felt that the whole Hinata vs. Neji fight was fitting to be a chapter-ending fight (if not a whole chapter), so I changed around the order so that the first fight would be Tenten vs. Kabuto.

Speaking of Tenten, I took the name of her ancestor from the name I see most commonly used for her last name. There's also the fact that she was capable of using the Banana Palm Fan effectively (low chakra reserves notwithstanding) and that she's _absurdly_ good with nearly any weapon. The aftermath of this revelation will appear soon.

Tell me what you think of the chapter if you're reading this. Seriously, I get inspired by positive and negative reviews.


	19. Advancement

Chapter 18: Advancement

Kurama was itching to fight. After seeing Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata perform so well, he was looking forward to showing his progress. Even so, if he had to fight Lee or Gaara, he might have been worried, since they would force him to use his demonic chakra in order to win.

He was busy watching the fight between Temari and one Zaku Abumi unfold. They both used Wind Style jutsu to attack, but it seemed that Zaku was only capable of using one attack, the Slicing Sound Wave, which required him to shoot bursts of wind from holes embedded in his palms.

Temari, however, was able to counter each and every one of Zaku's attacks with her fan. She was about as graceful as that Tenten girl was – the fact that her ancestor was able to use the Sage's Tools was both impressive and infuriating, but her lineage, combined with her dedication, did reflect in her skill with weapons – and she was slowly gaining advantage of the fight.

Her fan was only partially opened, which implied that she was capable of doing so much more damage.

"Is this all you've got?" Temari asked. She was smiling condescendingly, barely winded from her exertion.

"Shut your mouth! I'll hit you with everything I've got!" Zaku charged energy into his palms. "Supersonic Slicing Waves!" A gigantic burst of wind appeared behind him, which added more wind to his already large wind strike. Temari, in response, opened her fan slightly, spinning around and creating a shield of sorts.

Zaku was winded, shocked that his ultimate attack didn't work like he wanted it to, even if the area around his opponent was damaged. "Damn it!" He placed his palms downwards, using a smaller version of his Slicing Sound Waves to propel himself into the air. He kept himself airborne with one hand, shooting Temari with his other hand.

Temari dodged his attacks casually. She then smirked. "You've just made a fatal mistake." She opened her fan all the way, which showed three purple moons on it. "Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari swung her fan, causing a tornado of wind to appear around Zaku. To him, it felt like hundreds of wind blades were cutting him open, which had the added effect of making him helpless.

Temari, in one smooth motion, closed her fan and placed it on her back. She timed her next attack carefully. Once Zaku was in position, she clapped her hands. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" A gale of wind caught Zaku, hurling him into the statue and knocking him out.

"And the winner is Temari!" Temari smirked again, walking back to her single remaining sibling.

As for Kurama, he acknowledged that Temari was, at least, a better practitioner of Wind Style jutsu than he was, since he was only capable of using the Great Breakthrough (and adding Wind Style chakra to his weapons or his chakra appendages).

He looked at the display, grinning widely when he saw his name there. _Finally!_

_Naruto Uzumaki vs. Yoroi Akadō_

* * *

Kurama used the Body Flicker to get to the arena, which surprised Kiba.

"Naruto can do it too? Kurenai-sensei, once this exam is over, you've got to teach us that technique. I can't be behind Naruto." Akamaru barked in agreement.

Kurenai blinked. "Yes, of course, Kiba." _I'm going to step up Hinata's training as well, since if she faces Sasuke or Sakura, I'm honestly not sure if she can come out with a win unharmed._

Kurama adopted his fox stance once Yoroi entered the arena.

"Are you sure you want to face me, boy?" Yoroi asked.

Kurama grinned. "I've been waiting to fight. Can't let my teammates get all the glory, can I?"

"Begin!" Hayate announced.

Kurama formed three Shadow Clones, which caused Kiba to look on in surprise.

"Shadow Clones, Kakashi?" Kurenai massaged her temples. Kurama had one of his clones engage in combat with Yoroi.

"He has the reserves for them and he's used them in quite inventive ways, so I've got no problem with it," Kakashi replied.

The clone was able to strike Yoroi, but dispelled soon after. "What did you do?" Kurama asked.

"I absorbed the clone's chakra and added it to my reserves," Yoroi replied smugly. "With an ability like that, I can fight forever."

_Just like the Sage's Preta Path, but can it absorb Ninjutsu, I wonder? _He nodded to his clone. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu/Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" they declared. A fireball was formed, energized by the gale-force winds created by the clone. The fireball increased in size, engulfing Yoroi in flames.

Hayate was about to declare Kurama the winner, only to see Yoroi come behind the clone, absorbing its chakra.

"That was a powerful technique, boy," Yoroi snarled. "It's a good thing your chakra helped me create a Water Clone to take the damage for me, otherwise I might have been killed." Kurama struck Yoroi with a powerful punch, which caused Yoroi to collapse into a puddle. The real Yoroi finished the handseal combination to one of his more chakra-taxing techniques.

"Demon Illusion: Descent of Hell!" A meteor of fire appeared, quickly descending to the arena floor.

_It's so hot... At this rate, the meteor will kill me! _Kurama flared some of his demonic chakra outwards, which caused him to adopt a more feral appearance. The meteor disappeared. _Genjutsu? How could I fall for something like that. _

"Interesting technique," Kurama gave a piercing gaze to Yoroi, his red eyes adding to the effect. He dashed forward.

"That's the Inuzuka Clan's Beast Mimicry jutsu!" Kiba exclaimed.

Kurama gave Yoroi a series of blows, but Yoroi was able to dodge or block most of them, failing to dodge a right cross to the stomach. "No it's not," Sasuke interjected.

Yoroi blasted Kurama away with a stream of water. "Then can you explain how Naruto could do something like that?" Sasuke was silent. "Ha! Naruto's not only a jerk; he's a thief as well!"

_He can use the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra already..._ "Naruto is using a different technique, which has similar effects to your clan's jutsu, Kiba," Kurenai said. "If you want to learn more about it, ask Naruto himself."

Kurama got up and formed three Shadow Clones, which attacked Yoroi from multiple sides. Yoroi made the first two dispel by having them crash into each other, kicked away the third one and grabbed the real Kurama, placing his palm on Kurama's throat. "Now, I'm going to absorb your chakra, boy. You've become irritating."

Kurama grinned mercilessly. "Go ahead." Yoroi absorbed Kurama's demonic chakra, which caused him to feel a burning sensation. "What is this? Such disgusting chakra!"

Kurama grabbed Yoroi's wrist, crushing it. He then punched Yoroi's face with his left fist repeatedly, letting go of his wrist and punching him away. Once Yoroi got up, Kurama formed two Shadow Clones, having them flicker to Yoroi. The one clone hopped up to Yoroi's face, giving him a shin kick, while the other swerved low, sweeping his legs out from behind.

Kurama flickered on top of Yoroi, who was about to fall on his back, striking his sternum with a double-footed stomp, which sent him crashing to the floor, knocking him out and leaving him with a bloody face and a broken wrist.

"Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Kurama returned to his teammates. "I thought I was in a life-or-death situation," he told Kakashi, who was looking at him seriously.

"...Fine, but you shouldn't rely so much on that power. What would happen if you fought someone who could negate it?"

Kurama nodded in understanding. "Congratulations, Naruto," Hinata piped up.

Kurama smiled in response. "Maybe I'll have to fight you in the next round. Not looking forward to that."

"Maybe you'll have to fight me, Naruto," Kiba cut in.

"You'll be far easier to beat than Yoroi, Kiba." Kurama looked at the display. "However, if you can beat Rock Lee, then I'll take you seriously." _Good luck, though. You'll need it._

* * *

Kiba and Akamaru dashed to the arena floor, looking forward to beating this Lee and getting an opportunity to make Naruto eat his words.

Naruto was quickly becoming the person he disliked the most. He wasn't _anything_ like the boy he knew at the Academy, someone he considered a friend. Not to mention the fact he became so much stronger so quickly. Shadow Clones, Body Flicker, jutsu of _two _different elements and that jutsu that was virtually a copy of his clan jutsu. _Just what the hell has Naruto been up to in the last three months?_

His opponent was staring him; in a stance that appeared to leave him wide open for an attack. _Why would Naruto be worried about _him? After the proctor started the fight, Kiba wasted no time. "Ninja Art: Beast Mimicry!" His features became more feral with his teeth and claws extending. He charged at Lee, striking him with his elbow. Lee blocked the attack and responded by giving him a roundhouse kick with his left leg.

_He hits hard. _"How did you block that attack?" Kiba asked. "No matter, it's time to take this to the next level." He gave Akamaru a pill, which caused his skin to redden. "Human Beast Clone!" Akamaru transformed into a copy of Kiba.

"Tunneling Fang!" Kiba jumped into the air, spinning towards Lee. Lee appeared to disappear, attacking Akamaru instead.

_He's fast. _"Akamaru! Hit him with all you've got!" Akamaru charged at Lee, but with every strike he would perform, Lee would dodge or parry it. "What sort of jutsu are you using to be so fast?"

"I do not use jutsu, if that is what you are wondering," Lee replied. Kiba dashed to Akamaru, then together, boy and dog raced towards Lee. "Take this! Fang Over Fang!" Kiba attacked from the left side of Lee and Akamaru from the right, in an attempt to get Lee in a pincer attack. He blocked the Fang Over Fang simultaneously, but he wasn't able to block it completely. Lee shook his arms out to alleviate the pain after the Inuzuka duo moved back to a safe distance.

"That was an unwise decision," Lee said sheepishly, wincing in pain. "It looks like I have no choice but to defeat you before I am hit with that attack again." Lee disappeared, reappearing on top of the statue.

"Guy-sensei! Can I take off my weights, please?" Lee asked. Guy gave him the thumbs-up.

"Weights?" Kurenai asked dubiously. "You're telling me Lee is that fast and he's wearing weights?"

"Of course!" Guy replied. "To overcome his deficiencies in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, I have trained him to be a Taijutsu master. Lee's progress so far is proof that hard work will overcome any deficiencies or flaws!"

Lee took off his weights and dropped them to the ground, which caused the floor to crack, creating a large dust cloud.

"Guy, you're simply too much," Kakashi said.

_The more I look at Guy and Kakashi's teams, the more I feel that my team isn't up to par, despite Hinata defeating one of Guy's students. It's a good thing that, at least, I still will have the second-best rookie team. _"Hinata. I will be working you to the bone," Kurenai told her student. "I hope you're prepared for it."

Hinata nodded in response. She then looked on to see Lee continue the fight, moving far faster than before.

Kiba was simply unable to keep up. Even his attempts to co-ordinate his attacks with Akamaru in order to catch Lee off-guard failed. Lee caught Kiba in a whirlwind leg sweep, disappearing once again, only to catch Akamaru with a whirlwind kick to the jaw. Kiba stood up, but before he could regroup, he found himself doubling over in pain, only seeing Lee's elbow placed just over his diaphragm.

After Lee made some distance with his opponent, Akamaru tried to hit Lee with a Tunneling Fang, but Lee ducked before Akamaru could make contact. Lee then appeared just above Akamaru, sending him to the ground with a brutal backhand blow.

"Do you yield?" Lee asked. Kiba got up, spitting out blood.

"Not on your life!" Lee responded by punching Kiba's jaw. Kiba blocked that and was about to counter with a strike of his own, but Lee struck him before he could, sending him flying to the wall, where he landed with a hard thud. Both Kiba and Akamaru, who had transformed back to normal, lay still, breathing laboured and slow.

"Kiba Inuzuka is unable to continue. Rock Lee is the winner!"

When Lee returned to the balcony, he saw his team, Team Seven and Hinata together.

"Congratulations, my student. I can see that the fires of your fighting spirit burn even brighter than before!"

"Yeah, Lee, we're going to be in the final round together, isn't that great?" Tenten added.

"You did well, Lee," Hinata said. "Congratulations."

While Lee was still surprised that Hinata was able to defeat Neji where he could not, he still smiled at her and his team.

"Thank you for your kind words." Lee smiled, placing himself in the 'Nice Guy' pose.

* * *

The final two combatants, Gaara and Misumi Tsurugi, made their way to the arena floor. Gaara was waiting throughout the preliminary round for the opportunity to validate his existence. While he would have preferred to do so against Naruto or even the Uchiha, he could only hope that his Mother's bloodlust would be sated.

"The final match is about to begin. You can begin whenever you're ready."

Misumi threw a smoke bomb at Gaara, which gave him the opportunity to form a Water Clone to act as a diversion. Meanwhile, Gaara ignored the smoke, having his sand rush towards Misumi, trying to grab and crush him. Misumi tried to punch Gaara with an extended limb, but it was blocked with a pillar of sand.

"Are you such a coward that you won't fight me without your sand, huh kid?" Misumi taunted. "Come on, fight me like a man!"

Gaara responded by having the sand surrounding Misumi crawl up his skin. Once Misumi was fully encased in sand, Gaara closed his fist, causing Misumi to explode in a shower of water.

"Like my Water Clone?" Misumi screeched. He continued to strike Gaara with his extended limbs, punching and kicking him repeatedly, but the sand would still prevent Misumi from attacking.

"You are an irritating eyesore," Gaara said coldly, causing Misumi to seethe in barely-contained rage.

"Arrogant child!" Misumi manoeuvred behind Gaara, trying to wrap his limbs around him, but the sand surrounding Gaara stopped him in his tracks. Once again, Misumi found himself encased in sand.

"I've had enough of your words... Sand Burial!" Gaara crushed Misumi, causing him to explode in a shower of blood and gore. Black fluid fell onto Gaara's body, which caused him to stare blankly.

"You were weak," Gaara intoned to the now-dead Misumi. "My Mother will not be satisfied with your blood. At least you have been absorbed into a greater existence, _my _existence!"

"Gaara, you're the winner," Hayate announced bluntly, hardening himself against the violent death Misumi suffered. "Can I get the other seven preliminary winners to come to the arena floor?"

Sasuke, Tenten, Sakura, Hinata, Temari, Kurama and Lee came to the arena. While most of them were unnerved by Gaara – especially Temari, Kurama looked excited.

Both Ibiki and Anko appeared next to Hayate. Once the winners were organized into a single horizontal line, Hayate began to speak. "The Third Exam will take place in one month, giving you ample time to prepare. This way, you will be fully capable of showing the progress you have made since becoming a Genin."

Anko took a box and had each of the Genin draw a number from it, while Ibiki drew up a list of who was fighting who.

_Tenten vs. Temari_

_Sakura Haruno vs. Hinata Hyūga_

_Sasuke Uchiha vs. Rock Lee_

_Naruto Uzumaki vs. Gaara_

Kurama was grinning demonically at the results. _Shukaku. You've tortured that boy for long enough. It's time to put you in your place. After all, even if I can only use three tails, I am still the strongest Tailed Beast!_

Gaara was grinning just as viciously as Kurama. _Naruto Uzumaki... you will truly make me feel alive! Never before has Mother screamed for someone's blood as much as she screams for yours! Once I destroy you and end your existence, I will become that much greater!  
_

"As an added note," Hayate said with a cough, noticing Kurama and Gaara's evil expressions. "No fighting will be allowed outside the Arena. If you do fight, you will be arrested and charged with, at the minimum, assault with intention to kill. Train hard and do your best next month. Dismissed."


	20. Resolve

**Author's Note**: Over 10000 views for this story in less than a month. Thanks to everyone who took time to read my story. I appreciate it.

* * *

Chapter 19: Resolve

When Team Seven left the arena, they found Kakashi waiting for them.

"Naruto. We need to talk. As for you two, meet me at our usual meeting place at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow."

Sasuke and Sakura nodded, then left, getting the hint that Kurama and Kakashi's conversation would be private. Once they left, Kakashi had Kurama walk with him, outside the tower and outside the Forest of Death. Once they left Training Ground 44, Kakashi began.

"Naruto, do you know what happened to Team Ten after you took their scroll?" Kakashi asked.

Kurama frowned. "I had my clone dispel immediately after they woke up, so I don't know."

"Shikamaru and Chōji entered the tower on the second day with Ino, who was incapacitated. While she was still breathing properly and didn't appear to suffer any physical damage, she would occasionally beg for her life, screaming about a Fox. As far as I know, Ino is still incapacitated. Tell me how she became like that."

"She entered my mind and tried to take control. The Fox didn't take kindly to that and released far more killing intent than Ino could handle, especially in her current 'state'," Kurama replied. "She was really lucky that I was able to gain some sort of control over the Fox and prevent it from killing her."

"I'm disappointed in you, Naruto. You said that you and the Fox had a near-perfect relationship, but that doesn't seem to be the case." Kakashi sighed. "The fact that Ino got hurt like that means one of two things: you were lying when you said you had a good relationship with the Fox, because if that was the case, then you would have convinced it to stop before it could do anything.

"Or, you _let_ Ino get hurt by the Fox. So, which one is it?" Kakashi asked seriously.

Kurama breathed in deeply. "The second one. She was a threat and the Fox had a great way to teach her a lesson about invading other people's minds. I never had a good relationship with her, either, so I let the Fox do its thing. I'll admit, the Fox went too far, but ultimately, Ino's still alive and when she recovers, she'll be a stronger person."

Kakashi went in front of Kurama and put his hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly. "Listen to me, Naruto. You need to consider the consequences of what you do with the Fox's power. While it has been an asset for you and for our team, what you did to Ino could have far-reaching consequences. What will her father or her sensei do to you if Ino doesn't wake up?

"People already see you as the Fox reincarnated. Don't give them a reason for them to believe that they were right in thinking that way."

Kurama smiled. "Thanks for the advice, Kakashi-sensei. I hope that you don't think worse of me for what I did."

"Don't worry. While I am disappointed in your decision, you've accepted that you made a mistake. Just do me a favour."

"What?"

"When Ino comes to, you have to apologize to her. That is the bare minimum you can do for her." Kakashi let go of Kurama's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow at 8:00." Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Kurama to his lonesome.

* * *

Shikamaru was currently inside the hospital, waiting for Ino to wake up. He was told by the medic in charge of Ino's recovery that she was in a state of shock from using the Mind Body Transfer jutsu on Naruto. This resulted in Ino falling into a coma of sorts. She was half-conscious: awake enough that she could still 'speak' (if her screaming was any indication), but she wasn't able to respond if anyone tried to speak to her.

Why Ino was in a comatose state and why Chōji was burned across his body (although, thankfully, the damage was easy enough to heal) could be traced to one source: Naruto, or rather, the Nine-Tailed Fox, which was stuck inside Naruto. That's why most of the villagers glared at him or why he was capable of mustering far greater killing intent than the 'Demon of the Bloody Mist'. _The Fox's head swirling around Naruto just confirmed any suspicions I had about him being a demon container._

If he were being influenced by the Fox, it would explain his change in attitude, as well as his 'reputation'. It put everything in perspective. Even a good man will be driven to do bad things in the face of overwhelming adversity and with a voice like the Fox whispering in your mind, it would be so much easier to do so.

"Shikamaru?" Shikamaru was shaken out of his reverie by the voice, which belonged to Sakura. She was with Naruto, which caused Shikamaru to growl in anger.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped.

"I just wanted to see if Ino was awake," Sakura replied calmly. Shikamaru shook his head violently, clenching and unclenching his fist.

"Same here, I wanted to apologize for what happened," Naruto said. "Do you know what happened?"

_Is this some kind of joke? _"Yeah, I know. You had that _demon _torture Ino," Shikamaru growled. "And you didn't do a _thing_ to stop it!"

Shikamaru chuckled sardonically. "I know your plan. You don't want your terrible reputation to be shot anymore than it already has, since if Ino tells _anyone _what happens, you're screwed. That's why you want to apologize, right?" He snorted. "You don't care if Ino lives or dies; all you care about is yourself!"

"Shikamaru, Naruto _is _sorry," Sakura retorted. "If he wasn't, he wouldn't be here."

"You don't have to defend me, Sakura," Naruto said. "As for you, Shikamaru, I don't care about what this village thinks about me. They'll always hate me, no matter what I do. I want to apologize to Ino because I made a mistake. If you don't want to believe me, fine," Naruto formed a Shadow Clone. "Sakura, when Ino wakes up, dispel my clone." Naruto disappeared suddenly.

_Body Flicker? _"Everything so far has been such a drag." Shikamaru stood up. "I'm going to find Chōji and bring him here. Sakura, if Ino wakes up before I come back, find a way to contact me." He then walked away, hands in his pockets.

_Naruto Uzumaki... looks like becoming a ninja's made you mature, but at what cost? I can't entirely blame you for what you did, since it was the Fox's fault. And I will _never _forgive it for what it did to Ino!_

_Even so, we _did_ target his group, so it's my fault for thinking he'd be even slightly merciful towards us, but... _Shikamaru stopped and looked at the ground, fighting back the wave of sorrow that surrounded him._ Damn it! It's my fault for underestimating him. Both Ino and Chōji suffered because I wasn't able to protect them from Naruto and I wasn't able to make a proper plan. _

Shikamaru raised his head, a determined look spreading across it. _This can't happen again. I'll make sure of it. It may be a drag to get that strong, but it'll be for the best._

"_When you have something to protect... that is when you become truly strong..._" that boy Haku told him once. Shikamaru smirked at the memory. _Maybe you're right, Haku. I'll become strong so that I can protect Ino and Chōji. So that something like this _never _happens again._ Shikamaru walked on, a new nindō strengthing his resolve and making him walk with more certainty in his step.

* * *

"Mr Nara, Mr. Akimichi, your teammate has woken up," Ino's medic said. "She wants to see you two."

Chōji scratched the single remaining burn mark on his chest, which he was told would require some more time to heal. He slowly stood up and followed the medic.

"See, Chōji?" Shikamaru smiled confidently. "Ino's alright. There's nothing to worry about."

Chōji wasn't so sure. She was in Naruto's mind, and Naruto's mind also contained the Nine-Tailed Fox. He only felt the Fox's killing intent for a few seconds before being knocked out, seeing an image of the Fox devouring him in a single bite. Ino was inside the Fox's mind for nearly a minute.

It made him breathe sharply and shiver when he thought about what happened to Ino. It also increased the amount of _hatred _he felt for the Fox. It was difficult staring at Naruto without seeing the Fox's red eyes. _Now I understand how the villagers feel. I don't want to feel like this._

"I hope so, Shikamaru," Chōji replied.

He could only assume that the Fox took control of Naruto when Ino invaded his mind. He couldn't imagine that it was _Naruto _doing all of those horrible things. After all, Naruto _did _protect them afterwards and he _did _want to apologize for what he – the Fox – did.

When he went inside Ino's room, he saw her father and mother at her side. Ino looked pale. Her eyes were lacking their usual spark and hair, which wasn't placed in her usual ponytail, looked lifeless.

"Shikamaru, Chōji," Ino said weakly. "Mom, Dad, can you give me some time to speak to my teammates, please?"

Mr. Yamanaka and his wife acquiesced, leaving the room. Ino then turned her body around so that her legs were dangling on the edge of the bed, her hospital gown easy to see.

"You guys alright?" Ino asked. "I know we didn't make it to the Third Stage of the Exam, but we can try next time, right? It was my fault in the first place for underestimating Naruto." She choked out Naruto's name. "I, I –"

"Ino," Shikamaru interjected. "Don't blame yourself. Blame me for not making a good enough plan. We should have gone for another team instead."

"Blame me, Ino," Chōji said. "It was my fault, because I wasn't strong enough to beat Naruto and..." _But as soon as I get the chance, I'm going to take my training seriously. So that Ino and Shikamaru don't suffer for my weakness. _

"The _Fox_?" Ino spat. "That _creature_ was terrifying. All this time, I thought I was going to die because of what it did." Ino shivered violently. "Now... I don't know if I can ever be the same girl I was before."

"I know what you went through must have been a drag," Shikamaru said soothingly. "But Chōji and I, we're your teammates; we'll be here for you whenever you need us."

Chōji, who went to Ino's side, placed his arm around her shoulder. "Yeah, Ino. Don't blame yourself for anything. And don't worry; you'll be back to normal in no time. I'll make sure of it."

Freshly formed tears streamed down Ino's face, staining her gown. "Thank you," she whispered. "Both of you."

Shikamaru went next to Ino and hugged her as well. "I'm not good at supporting other people, but for you, I'll do whatever I can."

Ino returned her teammate's embraces with her own, and smiled for the first time in over three days.

* * *

Sakura, who dispelled Naruto's clone soon after the medic left with Shikamaru and Chōji, was waiting for them to return, since she wanted to speak to Ino privately. Today was the day that she would finally restore her friendship with her first friend and nothing would stop her from doing so.

She saw Ino's teammates leave her room and took her opportunity. Once she went inside, her heart froze. While Ino had a smile on her face, her eyes were bloodshot. Fresh tears still lingered on her face and her body looked thin. _Naruto... I hope you do apologize for what you let the Fox do to her._

"Sakura? What are you doing here?" Ino murmured.

"I wanted to see you, Ino." Sakura went to Ino's side and sat on the bed. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. Please."

Ino chuckled hoarsely. "Neither do I. I had some time to think about things, while I was in that coma. I shouldn't have disregarded our friendship when I chased after Sasuke. He's just a boy and no boy should break up a friendship as strong as ours was.

"What I'm trying to say is, is that I'm sorry. I made a huge mistake. Can you forgive me?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes, of course. I was just sad to think that you didn't care about our friendship. It made me furious, and jealous of Sasuke."

"Well, I'm sorry anyways. I don't think that I deserve your forgiveness, though. However, I do want to try to restore our friendship, if you're willing to, that is."

Sakura wrapped Ino in a warm embrace, hugging her tightly. "That's all I ever wanted, Ino."

* * *

Kurama entered the hospital once again. While he appreciated the shows of support he got from Ayame and Teuchi when he told them he would be participating in the Third Stage of the Chūnin Exam, it did nothing to quell the growing feeling of dread he felt about apologizing to Ino. _What if she knew?_

After finding out where Ino's room was, he went there hastily, running into Sakura.

"Naruto. You're going to apologize to Ino now, right?" Sakura was glowing with excitement.

"Of course." Kurama smiled. "It looks like you made amends with Ino, huh?"

"Yeah!" Sakura beamed. "Don't let me keep you though. You have work to do." Sakura winked at Kurama, walking away from him.

Kurama continued walking to Ino's room, but he was stopped by a blond man clad in a black outfit with the Chūnin flak jacket and a sleeveless red haori.

Kurama smiled at the man. "Can I help you? If not, I'll just be on my way."

"Wait," the man said roughly. "We have something to discuss."

"Sure, go ahead. After that, I need to see Ino. I have –"

The man interrupted him. "Why do you want to see my daughter, Naruto?"

Kurama grimaced slightly. "It seems that you know who I am. If you know what I did, then you'll know why I have to apologize."

"I'm aware that you were the reason why Ino was put in that coma," Inoichi Yamanaka replied gruffly. "To make sure you don't do anything, I'll accompany you when you see my daughter."

"No!" Kurama coughed to hide his outburst. "I have to see Ino privately."

"Why? So you can do more damage to her?" Inoichi growled.

"I learned from my mistake. What happened to Ino was the result of a defense mechanism that I developed to counteract mind readers or people with your family's abilities. Since I had no one to test the defense on, Ino got hit with a... defective version, if you will." _Hopefully he buys the explanation._

Inoichi raised an eyebrow. "How does this 'defense mechanism' work? Would you be willing to allow me to test it out?"

Kurama looked around. Satisfied that nobody was around, he continued. "I can't. See, my defense mechanism involves the Nine-Tailed Fox, Mr. Yamanaka and if it finds another Yamanaka inside its mind, it won't show any mercy."

"So, you let that _demon _torture my daughter? I had my suspicions that it was just powerful Genjutsu, but without the opportunity to delve into my daughter's mind or knowing exactly what happened in the Forest of Death, I couldn't make sure. Now..." A wave of killing intent hit Kurama. He stared at Inoichi, seeing for the first time the rage he was keeping restrained earlier.

"I want you to do two things for me, Naruto Uzumaki. First, you're going to apologize to Ino for what your 'defense mechanism' did to her. While you're apologizing to her, you have three minutes to speak to her and if you spend any more time, or you attack Ino..." Inoichi let the unspoken threat speak for itself before continuing.

"Second, after your three minutes are up, you are _never_ to speak to her again, unless you are placed on the same mission team as her and _only then_. Understand?"

Kurama nodded. "All I wanted to do was apologize in the first place."

"Then let's go." Inoichi had Kurama follow him to Ino's room. Kurama went to the door, but before he could enter, he stopped.

Inoichi gave a small, but rough smile. It looked forced. "Don't worry. I'll give you some privacy. However, you have three minutes, so don't waste them."

Kurama stepped inside, which caused Ino to shake in fear.

"You! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I wanted to apologize for what happened to you."

Ino glared at Kurama. "Do you think I'm going to forgive you?"

"No. I just wanted you to let you know that you suffered more damage than you were supposed to."

"Liar!" she hissed. "You wanted to kill me!"

"Why would you say that? Do you think I'm the Nine-Tailed Fox?" Ino didn't move. She didn't speak either.

"Well, fine. Even so, I'm sorry." _Damn, that wasn't easy to do. Stupid Arashi and his damn influence are corrupting me. _

"Just... leave, please. Naruto or Nine-Tails or whoever you are. It's hard looking at you without thinking about what I had to go through."

Kurama went to the door. "I am sorry, Ino, even if you don't believe me or you don't want to forgive me for what I did." Kurama wrapped an orange tail around Ino.

Ino flinched, her voice was too hoarse to scream, but she became still when she felt Kurama's chakra, mesmerized by its warmth. "What are you trying to do?" she whispered.

"Nothing serious. Just know this: even if I did you wrong, I'm not an evil monster. I only wanted to defend myself and when I do, I don't consider consequences." Kurama gave Ino a genuine smile. He then let go of Ino, letting his chakra disappear before he left the room.

_You may not be Naruto. You may be a vicious, violent demon, but for some reason... I think that you're may be right, that you're not as bad as the village makes you out to be. After all, even if you could – and wanted to – kill me, you didn't. That has to mean something. _Ino thought. However, even if she thought that Naruto, or whoever he was, wasn't 100 percent evil, he was still a threat to the village, especially to people who found out his secret.

_I have to do something about Naruto though, so that no one else suffers the way I did._ Ino's eyes regained some of their original spark. _And I may just have an idea of how to go about it. _

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hopefully, I made Ino, her teammates and her dad's reactions true to their character. As for Ino, she'll be working harder as well. If you have a question about the chapter, please review.

So, next chapter, Team Seven's training will begin. I have a few ideas about it, but hopefully, it won't last longer than three or four chapters.


	21. First Week of Training

Chapter 20: First Week of Training

Kakashi was sitting in a high-end bar with his 'date', thinking about what his 'date' told him. While he doing so, his thoughts turned to his team and how they turned out. He had an accurate assessment of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura's current skill sets and while they were quite promising students, it was their psychological progress that surprised him.

Kakashi first thought of Sakura, whose development as a kunoichi and young woman filled him with pride. At first, he reminded him of his old teammate Rin at first, with her good chakra control and her crush on the aloof loner of the team. Now she was more like Obito, channelling her energy into training and becoming strong - for her own sake, he recalled.

Next, there was Sasuke, who was exactly like he was when he was younger, although without Sakura driving him away and Naruto being a friend before being a nuisance, he was able to loosen up and be nice. It's a good thing too, since it kept him close to his teammates and prevented him from falling into further darkness.

Finally, he thought about Naruto. While he expected Naruto to be just like Obito at first (or even like his mother), he was more a mixture of all the good traits of his team. He was energetic like Obito, serious like he was when the situation called for it and supportive like Rin. There was the matter of his palpable bloodlust, but he was able to restrain that part of him outside of battle, so it didn't warrant further investigation.

"So, Kakashi," his 'date' drawled. She took a sip of her drink, which he was told was quite expensive. "What do you think?"

"The only advice I can give you is to diversify. Learning different things and being able to do them well has a variety of uses both in and out of battle. You'll learn to keep a cool head when under pressure and be able to look at things from a completely different angle than what you're used to."

His 'date' smiled. "Is that so? I always figured that being specialized would be for the best, especially with the right circumstances."

"Sure, specialization has its advantages, but at the same time, you become predictable, stale. What happens then? It'll be difficult to spread your talents elsewhere, especially if you didn't spend any effort in learning other things during your training in your specialized field."

His 'date' took another sip of her drink, sighing in satisfaction. "You know your stuff, Kakashi. This 'date' has been... enlightening. We should do this again sometime."

"I agree. If you need advice again, you know where to find me."

Kurenai finished her drink and left the bar, leaving Kakashi to his barely-finished drink and his thoughts. _When Kurenai wanted some tips on training her Genin, I never imagined she would come to me asking for a date. Sure, she was impressed with how my Team turned out, but what about asking Guy for help? He has more experience, doesn't he?_

_In any case, I hope that she learned that to specialize might be wise, there's versatility in diversity._

* * *

"Alright, Team, here's how our schedule for the next month is going to work." Kakashi said. Team Seven were currently on the bridge, listening to their sensei. "For the first week, I'll be training Sasuke one-on-one. For the second week, I'll be training Sakura and for the third week, I'll be training Naruto. You'll get one day of rest a week.

"For the last week, we'll train as a team for the first five days. I'll give you the last two days off to prepare for your fight. Any questions?"

"What will we do when we're not training with you, Sensei?" Sakura asked.

"I've organized teachers to assist me in teaching you when I can't do so."

"What about Shadow Clones?" Kurama asked.

"If you're not being taught by anyone at the moment, I'll have a Shadow Clone supervise you, but only then," Kakashi replied.

"Sakura, your mother wants to train you, so she'll be teaching you this week. Naruto, you'll be training with Asuma Sarutobi."

While Sakura was ecstatic, Kurama wasn't. "Why? I can already do wind chakra manipulation."

"I told him that, but he said he wants to teach you anyways. Remember, Naruto, he's not your sensei, so if you feel that he's not teaching you properly, then you can stop and train with someone else."

Kurama nodded. _If he's anything like the Hokage or Konohamaru, Asuma might not be so bad._

"Alright then. Sakura, I'll see you next week. As for you, Naruto, if all goes well, I'll see you two weeks from now. Until then." Kakashi nodded at Sasuke, who returned the gesture. They disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"Good luck on your training, Naruto," Sakura said.

"Same to you, Sakura," Kurama replied. Sakura flickered away, leaving Kurama to go and find Asuma. Luckily, he didn't have to look far.

"Naruto," Asuma said roughly. "Let's go."

Asuma disappeared just as quickly, but Kurama could follow his trail easily enough.

* * *

"Alright, Sasuke. I can tell you exactly how to beat Lee, since I've fought his sensei frequently," Kakashi said. Kakashi and Sasuke were at a training ground a fair distance away from the village, on top of a rocky mountain.

"Oh, him. He said you were his rival for all eternity, or something," Sasuke replied.

"Did he now? Well, that's not important right now. What you have to know is that, if I know Guy well enough, that he will teach Lee how to negate the advantages of your Sharingan by the time you two fight."

Sasuke's muscles tensed. Kakashi noticed. "Calm down. That just means that you can't hypnotize him with your eyes and that your ability to predict his movements won't work as well. However, you have many advantages he doesn't, such as the ability to use Ninjutsu."

Sasuke's eyes shined. "So what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to train your fitness, primarily. I'm also going to teach you how to match Lee's speed and _surpass _it."

"How?" Sasuke's excitement was growing substantially with each passing second.

"The Double Body Flicker."

* * *

Sakura and her mother were at a training clearing that had a large trench nearby.

"Why are we here, mom?" Sakura asked.

Mebuki pulled up the sleeves of her black jacket and tightened her fingerless shinobi gloves. "I'm going to teach you a technique that you can use to beat your opponent." Mebuki's hands began to shimmer in a dark green light. The light completely wrapped around her hands and lengthened to a distance of one hands length.

"This is the Chakra Dagger. Unlike the jutsu its derived from, the Chakra Scalpel, this jutsu is all-offense and provides you with some distance when fighting, acting like a weapon."

Sakura looked at her mother's hands in awe. _This is a wonderful alternative. Now I don't have to pervert a medical technique. _"Does this mean I don't have to fight with kunai or other weapons if I learn this technique?"

Mebuki smiled, letting the Chakra Dagger disappear. "Not really. It's a chakra-taxing jutsu, so it's only useful for assassination or to temporarily counter other chakra-based strikes like the Gentle Fist."

"Is that all you're going to teach me?"

Mebuki turned in the direction of the trench. "I'm going to take your Earth Style jutsu to the next level. That's why we're here: we're going to be sparring in that trench once I've gone through the basics of how to stay alive inside there."

Sakura took a look at the trench and gaped in surprise. The trench appeared to be completely embedded with spikes along both of its sides, with more spikes jutting out from the bottom.

"Mom? Are you sure you're not taking this training a bit too seriously?"

Mebuki smiled cheerfully. "Don't worry, dear, I'm not. If you can spar properly down there, fighting that Hyūga girl won't be difficult for you at all."

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "Really? Hinata's no pushover, after all."

"You're right, Sakura, but you shouldn't worry about that for now." Mebuki waved a hand through her blonde hair. "Are you ready to begin? Time's wasting after all, and I know Kizashi wants to teach you something as well. You're lucky that he let me train you first, otherwise you'd just be splashing around in the water."

Sakura nodded, encasing her fists in stone. "Let's begin!"

* * *

Asuma took Kurama to a nearby waterfall. Putting on his trench knives, he stepped onto the water.

"So, Naruto, how far are you with manipulating wind chakra?" Asuma asked.

Kurama took a leaf and cut it in half using wind chakra. The edges looked cleanly cut. "I have one question. Why are you teaching me?"

Asuma raised his right-hand trench knife and let wind chakra flow through it, which caused a blue blade of chakra to extend from its edge. He placed it near Kurama's neck, but not close enough that it would cut, accident or otherwise. "While I can't accept that you let Ino's mind get assaulted by the demon fox, you, at least, apologized to her on its behalf. I won't forgive you, but at least you've shown the maturity to accept the consequences for your actions.

"You can't undo what you did before, so crying about it won't make any difference."

Kurama looked at Asuma with a slight look of respect. "I thought you'd be angry."

"I am," Asuma said seriously, which caused Kurama to stare at him blankly. "I don't regret letting my team participate. I don't. I just couldn't bear to see such a jubilant young woman so broken.

"Anyway, enough about me. Can you cut the waterfall using wind chakra yet?"

After Asuma released the chakra on his trench knife, Kurama stepped onto the water. He walked towards the waterfall and once he got there, he placed his hands within the waterfall, pushing his wind chakra outwards to cut the waterfall in half. However, the edges where the chakra cut the waterfall were not cleanly cut, making them look slightly jagged.

"That's quite impressive for someone who's only been at it for two months. Alright, now I'll teach you the dangers of wind chakra."

"I know what they are."

Asuma smirked. "Do you? Then let's spar, on the water only." He pushed chakra into both of his trench knives, extending their length to two feet. He took the stance of the Flying Swallow.

Kurama took out a kunai to increase his chances of survival, but immediately saw a spray of blood coming from his left cheek, a small cut forming quickly. He was on the defensive, countering Asuma's attacks with his own, replacing himself with a log at one point, only to find the log was cut in half by his 'sensei'.

Asuma appeared in front of Kurama, landing a wind uppercut on his chin. Kurama was sent flying towards the waterfall, but recovered, forming a Shadow Clone and wiping away the blood dripping from his chin. _What is he trying to do, kill me? _Kurama grinned. _It's time to kick it up a notch._

Kurama formed a Fireball and blasted it at Asuma, who cut through it with his trench knife. The ensuing smokescreen was blown away, giving Kurama's clone an opportunity to launch a barrage of kunai at Asuma. Asuma sent a wave of wind to stop the kunai from reaching him, but that was a front for Kurama to sneak behind and launch a wind-laced kunai slash.

Asuma replaced himself with a log, which prevented him from being cut in half. Asuma punched Kurama in the face, which caused another horizontal cut to appear along Kurama's right cheek, extending from the ear to just before the nose. Asuma was about to follow up with a punch to the nose, but Kurama replaced himself with the clone, who exploded upon contact.

The explosion was of the concussive type, which caused Asuma to skid backwards on the water. He recovered and came up to Kurama, but before he could hit him with a punch saturated with wind chakra, he found himself unable to move.

"You're willing to spar with Naruto but you won't teach us?" The familiar voice belonged to Shikamaru, who pinned Asuma with his clan jutsu. "Such a drag."

Asuma sighed. "That's the end of practice, Naruto. Hope you learned your lesson."

_That was a lesson? _Kurama wiped the blood from his face. _It's only his ability to use Wind chakra like _that _that makes him dangerous. I wonder... _"I did, Asuma-sensei."

"See, Shikamaru, Naruto's not even my student and he knows how cool I am."

"Yeah, yeah, 'Awesome-sensei'. Let's go. We _need _to train," Shikamaru growled.

"I swear, sometimes, I just don't get any respect," Asuma grumbled. _Besides, the kid learned his lesson. So long as he never lets the Fox influence him too much, he won't be a problem. _Asuma grabbed Shikamaru and disappeared in a tornado of wind.

Kurama cleaned his wounds in the pool that the waterfall emptied into, removing the blood and taking a break to recover. He pulled out a kunai and let wind chakra flow into it. It only grew about one quarter of a foot in size. _This requires practice. I'll do this for the rest of the week, then. _

Planning to get some more 'help' with this exercise, he formed his favourite handseal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

* * *

Five days passed since Kurama began training how to use Chakra Flow properly. He was training at the same waterfall Asuma took him to, but by himself, since Asuma didn't return to train him again. _It's not important now. All I need to do is train by myself for a bit, then I can find someone else to help me._

He placed his hands into the waterfall and used wind chakra to split the waterfall evenly, which amazed the young women who were there watching him.

"As you can see, ladies, I need to train in this area and I won't leave. However, feel free to have fun here. I won't bother you, alright?"

"Sure, Naruto," one of the women said, She had shoulder-length auburn hair and was wearing a red bikini. "We won't bother you either, but feel free to join us if you get bored with training."

Kurama smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." The brown-haired woman left with her friend.

"Naruto's so cool, isn't he Haruka?" the woman asked. She had waist-length black hair and was wearing a green swimsuit.

"Totally, Michiru," Haruka replied. What Kurama found interesting that their eye colours matched the colour of their swimsuits.

_It feels good to be acknowledged. _Kurama turned away from the woman and faced the waterfall. He placed a foot on it, with the intention to walk all the way up. It was a variation of the water-walking exercise, something that was second-nature to him now.

However, climbing the waterfall proved to be more difficult than he imagined. He would have to regulate the amount of chakra he was using while climbing a vertical surface that shifted frequently. All he knew was that once he finished this exercise, he would be far better at chakra control. However, with all the splashing around he was going to do, he was glad that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

* * *

Jiraiya was busy watching two beautiful women playing on the water from his hiding spot in the bushes. It was part of his 'research' for his novels, which weren't disgraces to women everywhere. The last woman who insulted his novel was read a passage from that novel and quickly kept quiet. In fact, she came back to him requesting an autograph for _Icha Icha Paradise_.

_Seems that she got the message. Icha Icha _sex scenes were explicit, but the primary draw of the series was the well-developed female characters that appeared during the comedic adventures of the heroic ninja.

Jiraiya was shaken out of his thoughts when he saw a blond boy trying to run up a waterfall. Interesting chakra control technique, but at the same time... _The kid looks familiar. _

The boy backflipped off the waterfall and impressed the women again, although it was obvious he slipped and had to recover quickly. He turned and Jiraiya caught a glimpse of his face, the whiskers and blue eyes the most noticeable features.

_It's him. _If the kid was capable of impressing women like that, he may have some potential. His prized student's son looked at his direction and told the women to leave. After they did, he shot an arm of orange chakra in his direction.

_He can already use the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra so well? _Jiraiya replaced himself with a log, using the Body Flicker to appear on top of the pool, right behind Naruto.

The chakra arm around the boy disappeared as he whirled around to face Jiraiya. "What are you doing spying on me? Or those women?"

"Research of course," he replied, a wide grin plastered on his face.

The boy snorted. "I know you. You're Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin and the writer of those novels that Kakashi-sensei always reads."

"Glad to see that my reputation spreads far and wide where even young children would know of my greatness," Jiraiya boasted.

The boy nodded, then made his way to leave, but Jiraiya stopped him. "So why are you training by yourself, kid?"

"I have about a week left to train before I get to train with Kakashi-sensei and the teacher he got for me didn't show up for the last four days, so I took the opportunity to train by myself."

"So you trained yourself to use that chakra arm?"

The boy's gaze narrowed. "Sure." That was surprising. He would have to see the Hokage about this. "Since you've seen it, can you tell me where it comes from?"

"It's one of the Nine-Tailed Fox's abilities, correct?" Of course Jiraiya knew, he was well-acquainted with the ability, having met multiple jinchūriki in the past, but the ease that the kid released the chakra arm with was surprising, especially with his age.

"It is. Do you know who I am?"

_What game is he trying to play? _"You're Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto smiled. "Correct. Is there anything else you want from me?"

Jiraiya's tone turned serious. "Let me see your powers in action for myself. I also want to check some things out with your seal."

"That was pretty straightforward. Is there something you're not telling me?" Naruto asked. His voice was mocking almost. His eyes then turned darker, as if he was lost in thought, considering Jiraiya's request. He then smiled confidently. "Alright then, let's get started."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Here are the statistics for Team 7, Hinata and Mebuki at the end of the preliminary stage.

Kurama: Ninjutsu - 4 | Taijutsu - 3 | Genjutsu - 3 | Intelligence - 4 | Strength - 3 | Speed - 3.5 | Stamina - 5 | Hand Seals - 2.5 | Total - 28

Sasuke: Ninjutsu - 3.5 | Taijutsu - 3 | Genjutsu - 3.5 | Intelligence - 3 | Strength - 2.5 | Speed - 3.5 | Stamina - 3.5 | Hand Seals - 3.5 | Total - 26

Sakura: Ninjutsu - 3 | Taijutsu - 3 | Genjutsu - 3.5 | Intelligence - 3.5 | Strength - 3 | Speed - 3 | Stamina - 3 | Hand Seals - 3.5 | Total - 25.5

Kakashi: Ninjutsu - 5 | Taijutsu - 4.5 | Genjutsu - 4 | Intelligence - 5 | Strength - 3.5 | Speed - 4.5 | Stamina - 3 | Hand Seals - 5 | Total - 34.5

Hinata: Ninjutsu - 3 | Taijutsu - 4.5 | Genjutsu - 2.5 | Intelligence - 3 | Strength - 2 | Speed - 3.5 | Stamina - 2.5 | Hand Seals - 3 | Total - 24

Mebuki: Ninjutsu - 4.5 | Taijutsu - 4 | Genjutsu - 3.5 | Intelligence - 4 | Strength - 3.5 | Speed - 3.5 | Stamina - 3 | Hand Seals - 4.5 | Total - 30.5

For Mebuki, she's adept at Earth ninjutsu, medical jutsu and helped out Sakura with her three-stage Sakura attack, which means she's good at Genjutsu. Hinata's high Taijutsu is because she trains properly with her father and Team Seven (and she's better than Neji, who was quite good).

If you have any complaints or questions, please review or send me a PM. I'll be happy to answer your questions.


	22. Second Week of Training

Chapter 21: Second Week of Training

Instead of coming into his sensei's office through the window, like he normally did, Jiraiya entered through the door.

The Hokage, who was busy with paperwork, looked up to see his former student. "Jiraiya," The Hokage greeted. "How can I help you today?"

"It's about Naruto," Jiraiya replied. There was no mirth in his tone.

The Hokage placed the page he was holding on the desk and stared at Jiraiya. "Go on."

"I checked the kid's seal today and I noticed something interesting about it. But before I tell you, how long has Naruto been training to use the Fox's chakra?"

"For about three months now. Why do you ask?"

"If that's the case, then how is it possible that he can use its abilities so easily?" Jiraiya asked. "He uses the chakra like he would his own two hands. Almost like instinct."

"Naruto always mentioned that he had a unique partnership with the Fox," the Hokage replied calmly.

"Has he described this partnership? Any deals he made in exchange for its power?"

"He never mentioned a deal, but his description of the partnership was in the positive."

"What about possession?"

"He always denies that the Fox possesses him." The Hokage sighed. "He's especially adamant about that fact."

Jiraiya blinked. "What about changes in attitude, behaviour?"

The Hokage smiled. "Naruto's matured rapidly. I have a feeling he will become a fine young man. However, I've received multiple reports from Kakashi, his Jōnin-sensei, about his increasing bloodlust. He doesn't express regret whenever he kills someone and Kakashi's even mentioned Naruto having feelings of satisfaction after he kills."

Jiraiya's expression became grim. "Wouldn't that be a sign of demonic influence?"

"No," the Hokage said bluntly. "While I am worried, Naruto shows no signs of this behaviour outside a battlefield." He sighed deeply. "Do you have any more questions, Jiraiya?"

"Have you tried to assess Naruto's current mental state with the help of a Yamanaka?"

"I haven't, although..." The Hokage's eyes turned dark, unreadable. "One of our Genin-ranked Yamanaka attempted to use her clan's jutsu against Naruto, but suffered mental trauma from coming into contact with its chakra and fell into a coma, which she came out of nearly one week before now."

Jiraiya breathed in deeply. "Didn't Naruto do anything to stop it from hurting her?"

"As far as I'm aware, he stopped it from killing her. Ino, the Genin, came in to speak to me during the week and relayed exactly what happened to her." _Although, there are some things I'll have to ask Naruto._

Jiraiya crossed his arms. A long silence ensued. Taking a deep breath, he began. "Let me explain what I found out about Naruto's seal:

"The seal containing the Nine-Tailed Fox is the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. This seal contains _all _of the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra, as well as its soul, instead of only its Yang chakra, like I initially expected Minato to do if he were to use the seal on the Fox.

"The second seal is the Eight Trigrams Seal. This seal contains a human chakra source and its soul. I can't recognize who the chakra belongs to at the moment, but it acts as a restraint of sorts to keep Naruto from accessing the Fox's chakra all at once. However, it seems to be weakening as Naruto accesses more and more of the Fox's chakra."

The Hokage's eyes widened. "That makes sense. Naruto always mentioned a limit when he spoke about accessing the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra."

"About that limit: Naruto's can only access three 'tails' of the demon fox's chakra. I asked him to try and form another tail, but he wasn't able to. I noticed that when he tried to do that, the seal appeared _over _the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to prevent Naruto from accessing more chakra. However, it disappeared when Naruto released the chakra."

"It's almost like the seal is alive, somehow," the Hokage mused. "You are still capable of removing that seal, correct?" Jiraiya nodded. "Good. Naruto may just break the Eight Trigrams Seal by accident, which will eventually cause the Fox to break the seal and escape. Have you explained this to Naruto?"

"Not in detail. He looked frustrated to find that he had two seals on him, but that could just be temporary shock."

The Hokage nodded. "Thank you for giving me the information, as always, Jiraiya."

"It's not like I have a choice to withhold information from the Hokage," Jiraiya retorted. However, there was a genuine smile on his face.

* * *

A week after Sasuke started his training with Kakashi, the Uchiha heir was told that he had two weeks to do whatever he wanted. At the same time, Kakashi-sensei gave him a fitness program to adhere to for those two weeks. Since Lee would be training himself into the ground, he would have to do the same.

He was finished with underestimating people based on their appearances or their clan (or lack thereof) or what they were like during their Academy days. Becoming a ninja changed people abruptly, him included.

Stepping onto the lake where he first learned how to use the Fireball, he formed the handseals to the Fireball jutsu. It travelled further and was bigger than any Fireball that he ever performed before. It was a testament to Kakashi-sensei's tutelage. He performed three different kata in sets of ten for each kata. He reminded himself to shoot a Fireball into the sky whenever he finished with one kata set.

Later, after Sasuke finished his evening practice with a cooldown exercise, he smiled and placed his back on the water, looking at the moon.

"_You're not worth killing..._"

"_Run, run away and cling to life..."_

Sasuke shut his eyes in frustration. _Damn it! _Even if he was willing to move on and not chase after his brother to get his revenge, it wouldn't help. The damage that Itachi did to him was far too much to just simply forget.

_Why did he have to do this to me? I didn't do anything to him! _Sasuke moved to a crouching position and looked at his reflection in the water. The Sharingan was active and its tomoe spun wildly. _That Man said that if I want to unlock the next stage of the Sharingan, I would have to kill my best friend. _Sasuke thought of his friends: Naruto, Sakura and Hinata.

_Kill them? _Sasuke growled. _Why should I listen to you in the first place? You're nothing but a liar and an insane monster. _Sasuke's Sharingan deactivated. He then stood up and walked away from the lake and onto dry land. He looked at the moon once more.

_I've been given a chance to live. _However, before he could live, he would have to get some well-deserved therapy, of the killing your (brother) kind. It would be the only way to keep him from fully going insane.

_Only after Itachi dies will I be able to make the most of the life I've been given._

* * *

"What happened to your hair, Sakura?" Kakashi asked. Sakura's hair was much shorter – where before, it may have been waist-length if Sakura let it hang loose, now it was barely shoulder-length.

Sakura glared at her sensei. "I don't want to talk about it."

Kakashi just turned to look at the village. They were at the same mountain top where Sasuke did his week of training. "Do you have a plan on how you're going to beat Hinata?" Sakura shook her head furiously.

"Don't worry. Here are some pointers, though. Genjutsu won't work on Hinata due to her kekkei genkai and with her skill in the Gentle Fist; even a glancing blow will cause major damage. She can also seal your tenketsu, which will prevent you from using Ninjutsu.

"Do you have any ideas on how to win, Sakura?"

Sakura's brow furrowed. She placed her fist in her other palm and cracked her knuckles. "I maintain the distance between me and Hinata and control the tempo of the match."

"Good." Kakashi turned around to face Sakura. "We're going to work on your shurikenjutsu this week, along with fitness and hand seal speed."

"You're not going to teach me a new jutsu?" Sakura asked angrily.

"How many jutsu did your mother teach you last week?" Kakashi asked.

"Three," Sakura answered. She then pouted.

"See? While I'd like to teach you a new jutsu, you already have learned. Besides, you'll need to distract Hinata as much as you can, since with her eyes, she leaves little opportunity for sneak attacks."

"So what? I throw a few kunai at her and while she's busy dealing with those, I cast a jutsu?"

Kakashi's single visible eye closed into what looked like a smile. "Exactly! So let's begin." He threw a kunai at Sakura. She deflected it, but she was almost unable to dodge the earth spike that appeared right in front of her.

Sakura punched the spike in anger, crushing it. "What was that for?"

"Did you see me use hand seals?" Sakura shook her head. "Now do you understand?"

Sakura's eyes lit up. "Teach me more, Kakashi-sensei!"

* * *

Kurama was training near a certain trench with Jiraiya, who was somewhere else at the moment. The trench itself was heavily damaged, with the spikes that it contained either crushed or its tips chipped off. The bottom of trench was almost covered in mud and the ground near the trench was filled with craters and holes.

Paying no mind to this, he released his chakra cloak, forming three tails. _To think! My chakra is being restrained by another seal! It was probably that container witch's fault, or her pitiful husband. That makes sense: I suffer for someone's stupid mistake! _

He added wind chakra to the tips of his tails, which caused them to grow in length by another two feet and turn into an interesting shade of violet. _That was a success. _Kurama thrust them towards the ground, ripping it up and sending grass, dirt and other debris into the air.

Jiraiya had recommended creating a shield of sorts made of wind chakra, which would be great in deflecting Gaara's sand. He let his chakra cloak evaporate into the air and formed a Shadow Clone. Once the clone was in position, it blasted the floating ball version of the Fireball jutsu towards the original. Kurama formed a thin layer of wind chakra in front of him and strengthened it.

If the chakra he was pushing in to the shield was greater than the chakra the Fireball consisted of, then the Fireball would disappear or at least be cancelled out. Otherwise, the Fireball would increase in size and engulf him in flames, leaving him with singed clothing and a few nasty burns.

The Fireball made contact and pushed against the wind shield. Kurama, in a moment of ingenuity, thrust his hand towards the shield, which caused the Fireball to split into three by invisible wind blades. However, the Fireball didn't reform and the chakra used to sustain the Fireball was ignited by the wind chakra, causing it to explode.

Luckily for Kurama, he used the Body Flicker to escape... right over the trench. Forming two chakra arms almost instantaneously, he gripped the edges of the trench which prevented him from falling to what would be a painful experience for him. The clone grabbed him with chakra arms of its own and placed him on the ground. The clone then dispelled after Kurama gave it the nod.

Kurama, despite nearly getting himself killed twice, was grinning widely. The wind shield and its supporting attack were a great new technique that he made. Jiraiya seemed to think so too, since he was looking at Kurama with a small smile.

_That kid definitely got his penchant for creativity from his father. _"Naruto, come here." Kurama came in front of Jiraiya quickly. Jiraiya bit his thumb and performed a handseal combination, slamming his hand on the ground.

"You've been training with me for nearly a week. I have a reward for your progress. Summoning Jutsu!" A toad about the size of Jiraiya appeared, holding a scroll in its mouth. Jiraiya took out the scroll and rolled it out, revealing it to be a contract. Many names were on it, including Jiraiya's name. Kurama had some trouble reading the name of the last person to sign the contract.

_Arashi Kazama? No... _Kurama frowned. _Minato Namikaze. Of course! _

"This is the Toad Summoning Contract. Sign your name on it with your blood, place your fingertips below your signature and you'll be able to summon a toad to aid you if you use the appropriate amount of chakra. You can only summon the toad if it's in Mount Myōbuku – the home of the Toads – and only if it recognizes your chakra and allows you to summon it."

"Do you know how it feels like to be summoned?" Kurama asked. _It's unpleasant._

Jiraiya grimaced. "Yes. The first time I used the Summoning Jutsu, it felt like I was being pulled through time and space. I ended up at the home of the Toads, where I signed the contract. If it weren't for that, I would have counted it as the third-worst experience of my life."

_I would have counted it as the beginning of the worst experience of my life. Worse than the time I ate those idiot brothers. If that fool Madara didn't summon me, then I would be somewhere in Lightning or wherever, enjoying my freedom. Funny how things work out sometimes. _"So why do you have the contract out here?"

"I want you to sign it," Jiraiya said. He looked like he was talking to a child, which caused Kurama to scowl.

Kurama thought of the last Toad he saw, or rather, felt. "No. Just... no."

Jiraiya gaped in surprise. "Why not? Toads are awesome! They can be used to spy, send messages –"

"I can do that with my clones," Kurama interrupted.

Jiraiya sighed in irritation. "Maybe you can. But they can be used for transport, as well as in combat and unlike your clones; they have techniques that simply can't be taught to humans, not without hard work, that is."

Kurama took time to think. "I don't know. Say now I sign the contract. Now can the Toads summon me, for whatever reason?"

"Well yes, but if they did, it would normally be for a special reason. It would be quite unlikely that you would be forcibly summoned by them unless you became a literal Toad Sage."

"Isn't that just one of your nicknames?" Kurama queried.

Jiraiya smiled proudly. "It is, but I'm currently the only human alive that has been capable of using the Toad's style of Sage Mode, making me a literal Toad Sage. As Toad Sage, you act as a representative and intermediary for the Toads. You also are responsible for determining new summoners by holding the summoning contract."

_Interesting. _"Can this technique be used to summon anyone? Or can you summon only the animal of the contract you signed."

"Hypothetically, you could, but you would either need to create a seal and place it on the person you want to summon in order to summon them, or you'd need to have the Rinnegan."

"Can you remove your name from the summoning contract?"

"Short of destroying the contract... I'm not sure. Although, for something like that, it would be up to the summon species. You remain bound to the contract even beyond death, so if you were brought back to life, you could still use the technique."

"I appreciate the information you've given me, but I can't sign the contract. Not right now, at least. I can't take the risk of being reverse summoned at the moment."

Jiraiya rolled up the scroll and gave it to the toad, who returned to Mount Myōboku. "Fine. But whenever you want to sign the contract, just ask." He walked away, leaving Kurama to think about what happened.

_While it may be useful to summon toads, what happens when I summon _that _one? It'd take a lot to keep me from slaughtering him with his own sword. At the same time, being summoned is an unpleasant experience. Why anyone would want to subject themselves to that willingly, I don't know. I just don't know. _

Kurama shook his head and walked home. It was reaching sunset and he wanted to retreat to his favourite place in the village.

* * *

Kurama entered his main apartment. He was fortunate that he rented every apartment on his floor – the top floor of the building, since even if he had to pay extra rent (although with the low cost of each apartment, it wasn't actually that much), having at least one room designated for relaxation was a good idea. So was the idea for having a storage room, a rooftop greenhouse and a study filled with books, scrolls and other pieces of study material. All he could say was, the money he got from that B-Rank mission payed off in spades, as well as the deal he made with Ms. Akane, the landlady.

He went to his kitchen, but stopped in surprise. Sitting in his kitchen was a man that Kurama never met before. The right side of his face was covered in bandages, but failed to cover his black hair. His right arm appeared to be crippled, but since it was covered by a black one-sleeved robe, Kurama couldn't be certain. He wore a white shirt under the robe.

_If he could get into my apartment this easily, despite my fortifications to this floor's security, he can't be as frail and pathetic as he looks. _The man stood up and had to support himself with a cane to keep steady.

"Who are you?" Kurama asked.

"I am Danzō Shimura," he replied sternly.

_No traces of any normal emotion. None at all. He must be a shinobi, one that doesn't let emotions get in the way. _Kurama formed a clone and had it make a cup of tea. Meanwhile, he guided Danzō to his living room. "Why are you in my apartment, Mr. Shimura?"

Danzō sat in one of the chairs. "I've heard that you've been training alone for the past few days."

_Humour him. _"Yeah, Asuma-sensei ditched me to train his team."

"I don't see why. You are to participate in the Third Stage of the Chūnin Exam, while his team is not. You eliminated his team. You put the mission above any sentimental value you may have had towards those children."

The clone gave Danzō the tea, who gave the clone and Kurama a show of thanks. "What's your point for telling me this?" Kurama asked.

Danzō sipped his tea. "I want to train you myself, for the next week, at least."

"Why would you show interest in me all of a sudden?"

"You have the qualities of a true shinobi. I believe that with my assistance, your potential can flourish."

"For what purpose would you help me?"

"_For the sake of the village_," Danzō answered. While his tone of voice barely changed, he seemed to emphasize those words.

Kurama placed a hand on his forehead, feeling an unusual throbbing sensation. "I'll have to deny your request, Mr. Shimura. I think I can train myself until I have to train with Kakashi-sensei. Thank you anyway, for your request." Kurama went to the entrance, opening the door.

Danzō finished his tea, placing the cup on the table. He stood up and went to the entrance. "Thank you for allowing me to speak. Too often, people mistrust me or underestimate me due to my appearance and deny me my request before I can give it. However, my request for training is still open in case you want to take it up."

Kurama smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." Danzō walked out of Kurama's apartment, cane in hand. After he left, Kurama had the clone who gave Danzō the cup of tea check the series of traps he set throughout his apartment(s).

While his clone was busy with that, Kurama retreated to his relaxation room, stepping into the onsen and sighing deeply once he was submerged in the water.

"This was one of the best ideas I ever had!" Kurama said happily.


	23. Third Week of Training

Chapter 22: Third Week of Training

Kurama woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache. His head was pounding furiously ever since he met Danzō the day before. He looked at the calendar on the wall and realized something important.

_Now I can finally train with Kakashi-sensei!_ _Once I become a Chūnin, I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage! _Kurama grasped his forehead tightly. _What the? That's not my goal, not anymore! I'm going to be free! If I become Hokage, all I'll be doing is wasting my time! _

After cleaning himself and eating breakfast, Kurama made sure to set the traps on his floor so that no one could enter without his or Akane, the landlady's permission. _It helps that she knows how to dodge and disarm these traps. What happens if some non-shinobi wants to come up here and visit me – without wanting to damage my apartments?_

Kurama used the Body Flicker to get onto the roof. Once he did, he ran off it, using the rooftops to get to the bridge much faster than on the dusty roads of the Leaf Village.

* * *

Kakashi led Kurama to the mountaintop training clearing that he used to train Sakura and Sasuke.

"So, Naruto," Kakashi started, breaking the companionable silence that came over them during their travel. "How was your training with Asuma?"

Kurama scowled. "I had one spar with him. Then Shikamaru came and took Asuma away. I haven't seen him since then."

Kakashi looked pensive. "Did you learn anything?"

"He didn't teach me anything, but I got a bit of inspiration from his fighting style." Kurama conjured up a single tail of orange-red chakra. Adding wind chakra to it, the tip of the tail grew in length and became purple. "I practised Chakra Flow for about five or so days. Then I met Jiraiya of the Sannin, who helped me train for the next week in refining my wind techniques."

Kakashi's eye widened slightly. _I figured that Asuma wouldn't really want to train him. Luckily he was only a proxy for Jiraiya to step in and train Naruto, which seemed to work out for the best. _"Seems that you've been at work, so let's get started with your training. We'll be doing fitness primarily, although I'll also be focusing on increasing the blunt force and cutting power of your wind-style jutsu."

Kurama nodded, but a hint of confusion was present in his tone. "Why would you train me to use blunt attacks? Gaara's sand needs to be cut, doesn't it?"

"Using sharp wind against Gaara is only good as a defense, unless you have significant range. If you hit Gaara with blunt attacks, he will suffer internal damage. That ultimately does more than cutting him – unless you get lucky and cut off his head. Also, unless you use the Fox's chakra –"

"Can't I use it?" Kurama interjected.

"My rule still stands. You'll also be in public, so it might cause a scene if the spectators feel the oppressive nature of the demon fox's killing intent."

"But I can control it," Kurama said in an annoyed tone.

"Are you sure? The Fox might overreact if you use its chakra against Gaara, which creates the risk of you losing control," Kakashi countered bluntly. "Anyway, without your chakra limbs, you'll only have a bit of extra range. So you can only sharp wind in defense and slowly inch closer so that you can strike Gaara with blunt wind, understand?"

"And the fitness is so that I have more stamina to use wind chakra and dodge attacks simultaneously."

"Exactly!" Kakashi said cheerfully. "So what I'll have you do is have you send bursts of wind against those rocks over there..." Kakashi pointed at a set of boulders. "With the goal of crushing them, or, at the very least, drilling a hole into the boulder. However, if you cut the boulder, you fail and have to try again."

Kurama went in front of a small boulder. He gathered energy into his right palm and thrust it outward. The wind blew the boulder a few meters away, but didn't break it into smaller pieces either. There wasn't even a hole in the boulder.

_Looks like I have my work cut out for me, don't I? _Kurama walked to the boulder and tried again, all while Kakashi was watching, reading a red book – _Icha Icha Violence._

* * *

Three days of training and failing to crush a boulder using wind chakra caused Kurama to become increasingly frustrated, to the point where his control was starting to falter even more than usual. To regain his control and composure, he got Kakashi's permission to take a well-deserved break from training.

With his sensei's consent, Kurama took the opportunity to walk home, which was what he was busy doing. He passed a particular flower shop on the way – _Yamanaka Flowers... I wonder if I would be kicked out for what I did to Ino _– and was shaken out of his thoughts by a familiar voice.

"Naruto?"

"Oh, hi Sakura," Kurama said with a smile. He got Sakura to follow him.

"How's your training with Kakashi-sensei going so far?" Sakura asked.

"I'm taking a break at the moment," Kurama replied. "I was heading home to relax and take a bath in my onsen. What about you?" Kurama surveyed his teammate and noticed her hair was much shorter than usual. "Looks like you took a beating."

Sakura frowned. "All I can say is my mother earned her reputation. You should see the trench that we were training in!"

"I trained around there last week. The trench was damaged by you and your mother?" Kurama chuckled. "Not bad."

Sakura lightened up. "At least I don't risk having rocks or dirt stuck in my hair when I train with Dad, but instead, I'm always soaking wet whenever I get home." Sakura moved her hand through her hair. "Dad isn't much better than Mom at damage control, so I'm grateful that he's good with Water-style Ninjutsu instead of Earth or Fire, otherwise..." Sakura shuddered.

"Never mind about me, though," Sakura said, changing pace in an attempt to forget her father's use of Water Dragons, gigantic waves and Water Whips – which he used to throw Sakura high into the air and left her to fend for herself. "Did you know that Sasuke's birthday is tomorrow?"

"Really?" Kurama said curiously.

"Yeah," Sakura said brightly. "I want to do something for him. We should get together at his place tomorrow. Hinata said she could come and I think that Kakashi-sensei can take a break from training you for a couple of hours tomorrow. I'm not sure about Ino, though."

"Why? You're not her rival in love anymore."

"That's not why. I did ask her, but she's afraid that you'll come," Sakura explained. "Other than her, I'm not sure who else to ask to come tomorrow."

"I don't think you'll have to ask anybody else. Don't worry about Ino, I'll play nice if she comes. I'll even use a transformation so that she doesn't get nervous or notice me," Kurama said mischievously.

"You're not going to use the Sexy Jutsu," Sakura warned. "She'll recognize you."

"How about this?" Kurama used the transformation jutsu to remove his whiskers, change the bone structure of his face and lengthen his hair so that two bangs framed his face.

Sakura stared at her teammate and was surprised at how much he resembled the Fourth Hokage. "Why would you decide to transform into him? You're probably going to give Kakashi-sensei a fright or something if you do that."

Kurama returned to normal. "Kakashi-sensei's almost never fazed by anything, but I get your point. So, do you plan on getting Sasuke anything?"

"I don't know," Sakura replied honestly. "I can't get him a cake, since he doesn't like sweet things... I'll have to think about it."

"It should be something important, something he can use," Kurama said after a bit of consideration.

Eventually, Kurama came to his apartment complex. "Well, this is where we part ways for the time being. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

Sakura smiled. "Sure thing, Naruto. Don't forget to bring Sasuke something good!"

* * *

Sasuke never celebrated his birthday. To him, his birthday was just a date where he became one year older. That's all July 23 was to him, a date. The last time his birthday was celebrated was when his family was still alive. _I haven't celebrated my birthday for five years and now, it'll be six. _The only significant thing that Sasuke could recall about being thirteen was that he was the same age as his brother when he killed everyone he cared about and left him broken and shattered.

Even if he didn't partake in the tradition of birthday celebration, Sasuke observed another tradition: he always visited his parents' graves on the date of his birth, instead of on the anniversary of the massacre, which was what would be expected of him.

If he had to give a reason, it was because he could focus his mind enough to remember the good times he had with his parents, even though there weren't that many. His mother was always supportive and his father was just beginning to acknowledge him, but it was all taken away by _him_.

No matter how many times he thought about the massacre, he could never understand _why _his brother did it. So instead of thinking about what was going through his brother's mind on that day like he used to, he wanted to forget – about him, about the massacre – instead, since after all, he always remembered that day in gruesome, vivid detail.

Visiting his parents and speaking to them about everything and anything was one way he could forget and be happy, at least for a little while before the nightmarish memories returned. Training was another, although the memories returned immediately after he stopped training.

Standing in front of his mother and father's graves, Sasuke spoke about everything and anything. It was soothing, a temporary reprieve from the constant nightmare he had to endure. And until Itachi died or he found an alternative method, he would continue to observe this tradition every year, on the date of his birth.

–Scene Break–

Sasuke returned home with a smile on his face. His mind was clear, devoid of those horrible memories. Although he knew that it was only temporary, he was happy, for once. He opened the door to his house to grab his training gear to prolong this feeling of happiness, but he stopped when he saw his teammate.

"What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly.

"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Sakura asked. "You shouldn't be alone on your birthday, so that's why we're here. Happy birthday."

Sasuke stared at Sakura blankly. "Thanks, but I don't celebrate my birthday."

"Well, I'm going to help you celebrate. Follow me," Sakura said with a bright smile. She led Sasuke to the living room, where a few more people were gathered. Kakashi-sensei was standing in the corner, reading his book. Ino was seated on a pillow seat, reading a scroll and Hinata was speaking animatedly to a boy he never met before. He was wearing an orange shirt with a black spiral and black pants with orange stripes and had black hair.

"Don't worry," Sakura whispered. "That's just Naruto. Ino wanted to wish you a happy birthday, but she wouldn't come if Naruto did, so I cast a Genjutsu on Naruto that changed his hair colour and facial structure. Both Kakashi-sensei and Hinata know – this was more for Ino than anyone."

Sasuke activated his Sharingan, which caused the illusion around Naruto to dispel. He deactivated it soon after. "Are you sure she's not going to overreact when she sees me?"

Ino looked up from her scroll and looked at Sasuke. She stood up and went to him, clasping her hands in front of her, smiling bashfully. "Happy birthday, Sasuke. I hope that you enjoy it."

_Not what I expected. _"Thanks, but why are you acting so timid?" Sasuke asked.

Ino gave Sasuke a lively smile. "Since being outgoing didn't get your attention, I wanted to try a different approach." Ino's smile faltered. "I don't know if it worked though. Maybe I should just be honest instead..." she said in a barely audible whisper.

Sasuke heard and smiled genuinely, which caused Ino to blush. "Maybe you should be."

Ino, after a brief moment of consideration, gave Sasuke a scroll. "Here's your birthday present. It's a scroll that has information about recovering from psychological trauma. I hope it helps."

Sasuke looked at the scroll and his eyes widened when he skimmed through its contents. He placed the scroll in his right pocket. "Why would you give this to me?"

Ino shrugged, but gave Sasuke a small smile. "I know what you're going through. Believe me, I do and I won't allow anyone else to suffer like that again, if I can help it. If you ever need help or support, I'll be there for you, alright?" Sasuke nodded in appreciation. Ino's smile grew in size. "Good... You know, while I'd like to party and all, I have some things scheduled to do. I'll see you around, Sakura."

Sakura smiled and nodded. She watched Ino leave along with Sasuke, who traced the length of the scroll in his pocket using his finger. _This may just be what I need. _Sakura, noticing Sasuke's distant expression, tugged on his arm. "What is it?" he asked in annoyed tone.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sakura asked. "We're going to celebrate your birthday, remember?"

Sasuke was pulled around by Sakura and for the next hour or so; he listened to a variety of stories, ranging from Kakashi-sensei recalling his days in ANBU to what Hinata did for fun, namely gardening. These conversations had an additional effect of keeping his mind occupied – when he felt his mind was about to drift away, either Naruto, who always knew how he felt, or Sakura, nudged him into the conversation.

"Naruto, we've had enough fun for now, so let's go," Kakashi-sensei said. He came to Sasuke, who stood up in response and handed him an orange book. "Here, Sasuke. My present to you is a book that will help you with your _other_ goal." Sasuke took the book, looked at the cover and placed it in his right pocket immediately.

"I don't know whether to be grateful, or offended," Sasuke said frankly. "This may be a decent diversion, but..." Sasuke sighed. "Whatever. Thank you, Sensei."

Kakashi eye-smiled. "You're welcome, Sasuke."

Naruto came to Sasuke and handed him two sealing scrolls. "In the first scroll is a tomato plant. The second scroll contains instructions on taking care of the plant, a bag of tomato seeds and a list of tomato-based recipes. I had to ask my apartment manager to get the recipes for me and it wasn't easy for her to get them, so you'd better be grateful," Naruto said flatly.

"I am, actually," Sasuke replied with a smirk. He placed the scrolls in his left pocket. "You can't go wrong with tomatoes, after all."

Naruto grinned. "That's great, Sasuke. I'm glad you appreciate your gift." Soon after, he left his house with Kakashi-sensei, leaving him with Sakura and Hinata, who went to Sasuke.

"Sasuke," Hinata said softly. She handed Sasuke a sealing scroll. "Please open it." Sasuke opened the scroll and pulled out a bamboo hat. It had the Uchiha clan symbol engraved on it. "You can tie the strings on the hat to keep it on your back. It should help you when travelling and in combat."

Sasuke put the scroll in his right pocket and put on the hat, tipping the front downwards. _If I position the hat properly, I can trick my opponent into making eye contact and win instantly. _"Thank you for your gift, Hinata."

Hinata smiled. "It was my pleasure, Sasuke. I have to take my leave now, to prepare for my match. I wish you a happy birthday." She gave Sakura a civil smile and walked away soundlessly.

Sakura stepped in front of Sasuke and tipped the front of Sasuke's new hat upwards. "I have to give you my gift, Sasuke, before I go."

"You don't have to, Sakura," Sasuke said. "What you did for me today is already a good-enough gift."

Sakura blushed. "You really think so? Even so, I want you to have this." Sakura took out a sealing scroll and pulled out a chokutō, which was placed in a blue scabbard. "You can push chakra into the blade and make it sharper, or make it take the properties of the element of your choice."

Sasuke took the blade out of its scabbard and examined it. "This is quite the weapon. You didn't have to give me this, you know."

"Please take it," Sakura pleaded. "The weapon didn't cost that much, so don't worry about cost."

Sasuke placed the chokutō in its scabbard. "Thank you, for everything you've done today, Sakura."

Sakura beamed. "Anything for my teammate. I'll see you around, alright?"

Sasuke smiled and watched his teammate leave. _I've never been this happy. I never knew they cared about me this much. _Sasuke took out his scrolls and Kakashi-sensei's book and placed them on the nearest table, before heading outside to practice with his chokutō.

_As long as I have friends like the ones I have now, celebrating my birthday might not be so bad after all..._ Before, Sasuke might have felt alone, but now, he knew that he wasn't.

* * *

Instead of training at Team Seven's Mountain Plateau, Kurama and Kakashi were currently training at the Third Training Ground. Kakashi formed an Earth Wall as a replacement for the boulders that were always present at the Plateau.

The break he took the day before, coupled with the mood he was in, allowed him to _see _how easy it was to complete the exercise. Taking a deep breath, he moved his arms in a circular motion, gathering wind chakra in his palms. He placed his palms in front of him, moulding the chakra into a sphere of energy. Releasing the chakra, Kurama thrust it at the wall, creating a small hole in the wall.

"Impressive, Naruto," Kakashi observed. "You can now use blunt wind, although was all that movement you did necessary?"

Kurama shrugged. "Not really. I actually want to shoot wind from my fists, so I can actually stand a chance of beating Gaara without using my... tenant's chakra."

Kakashi ruffled Kurama's hair. "That's not a bad idea, Naruto."

Kurama was about to respond, but he was interrupted by the familiar sound of swirling leaves. An ANBU with a tiger mask appeared in front of teacher and student. However, Kakashi looked at the ANBU with a bit of amusement.

"Tenzō, is that you?" Kakashi asked.

Tenzō nodded curtly. "Excuse me for interrupting your training, Kakashi-senpai, but the Hokage requests your student's presence."

"Of course. Naruto, we'll meet here tomorrow," Kakashi said. He gave his former subordinate the nod to take Kurama. Tenzō grabbed him and used the Body Flicker to disappear in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

_The past few weeks have certainly been stressful._ Hiruzen thought. If it wasn't being told by an irate Genin from Hidden Sound that he and his two teammates were sent by his wayward student Orochimaru to test the limits of one Sasuke Uchiha, it was constant probing by his former rival Danzō to attend more of his and Naruto's meetings.

He had thanked the Genin, Dosu, for giving him the information and as a show of gratitude, he had a team of ANBU escort him and his teammates to the Land of Rice Fields, so that they wouldn't be apprehended by Orochimaru or his forces.

As for Danzō, he attended three of his meetings with Naruto, including the one that took place before the Chūnin Exams (in private, of course), but due to what would be discussed during this meeting, Danzō was not allowed anywhere near his office. This 'ban' extended to both of his teammates, who attended only one of his meetings with the young Uzumaki – and one meeting was certainly enough for those two.

However, even with Dosu and Hayate's – who, he was told, was fortunate to use a Shadow Clone when he spied on the Jōnin from Hidden Sand, Baki and that boy Kabuto – revelations, that was still manageable. He had dealt with war, subterfuge on a grand scale and many other things in his long tenure as Hokage, but if his suspicions about Naruto were confirmed...

His most successful ANBU operative, Tenzō, brought the boy in question inside his office. "Thank you, Tenzō," he said calmly. "You are to remain on standby outside of my office. Make sure that nobody hears the conversation we are to have in here." Tenzō nodded, leaving Hiruzen alone with Naruto.

"Hey, Old Man Hokage," Naruto began. "Why was our meeting scheduled for two weeks ago cancelled?"

Hiruzen sighed deeply. "I've been busy with preparations for the Third Stage of the Chūnin Exams. However, that is not important right now. I have a few questions to ask you and I hope that you will answer them honestly."

"Sure, Old Man Hokage," Naruto said happily.

"You have told me that you and the Nine-Tailed Fox have a very good relationship, one where you can prevent it from possessing you. So what caused you to expose Ino Yamanaka to its chakra and killing intent?"

"I keep my mind guarded very tightly. Anyone who tries to enter my mind _without _my permission will never escape. Ino was the first one to try and so far she's been the only exception," Naruto replied coldly.

"Why would you take such extreme measures?" Hiruzen asked.

Naruto scowled fiercely. "It's because I _hate _being manipulated or controlled, so when someone tries to usurp control of my body, I don't react very well to that."

Hiruzen looked at Naruto in concealed surprise. "Do you know that I've received complaints from many people for your actions in the Forest of Death? Complaints such as 'you've allowed that boy to use demon chakra on Hidden Leaf Genin' or 'contain that boy before he becomes too powerful', among others. I have defended you time and again from not only my son, but the three members of my advisory council."

Naruto smiled gratefully. "Everything I do is either in self-defense, or in defense of my teammates. If I didn't use my chakra, I would have been seriously injured thanks to Team Ten's attack and my teammates might have been killed." Naruto's smile turned predatory. "They attacked me first and when they did, they became my enemy. And if it wasn't for my teammates, they would have ended up like every single one of my other enemies: dead_._"

Hiruzen's face became unreadable. "I always thought that you wouldn't turn on fellow ninja of the Leaf, but it seems that your instinct for survival overwhelms any rational thought. Like an animal, or a demon."

Naruto flinched slightly, but regained his composure almost immediately. "Like I said, it was all in self-defense. Besides, I never felt any attachment to them. Shikamaru and Chōji were never my friends back in the Academy, even when I would tag along with them when they ditched class. They saw me as a pest, like an itch that just wouldn't go away.

"Ino was never nice to me and even after I became a Genin, she would insult me or my teammate every opportunity she got to," Naruto said bitterly.

"...This isn't like you, Naruto. Even when you were alone, you'd still smile and be happy, determined to make people acknowledge you," Hiruzen said sadly.

"Unfortunately, Lord Hokage, I'm not that boy anymore. After Mizuki told me the truth, I realized this village will _never _acknowledge me. They'll see me as the Nine-Tailed Fox, now and forever. I'm grateful for the few friends that I have, though."

_Maybe this truth can be associated to what Ino told me about Naruto's mind. _"Ino told me that when she entered your mind, she saw the demon fox and nothing else. Please explain this incident to me."

"She looked for 'Naruto' and couldn't find him. That is because..." Naruto paused, probably to gather his thoughts. After a tense period of silence, he resumed speaking. "There is no Naruto."

"Excuse me?" Hiruzen asked in a stupefied tone. "What do you mean by this?"

"When Mizuki told me I was a jinchūriki, he said that I was the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"So you believed him? Naruto, I'm disappointed in you."

"You shouldn't be, Lord Hokage. He was right..." Naruto said. "I _am_ the Nine-Tailed Fox."

_No... this can't be possible. _Hiruzen stared at the boy in front of him in shock, before understanding enveloped him. _Everything makes sense now. From what Minato begged me to promise, to all of Naruto's – the Nine-Tails – comments about the Fox, like his 'relationship', or how he can't be influenced by the Fox, because he _is _the Fox! _"How can this be possible?"

Naruto – the Nine-Tailed Fox – replied immediately. "Minato Namikaze made a deal with the Shinigami that ended up badly for him and his son. Somehow, my memories were sealed, which caused me to grow up the way I did. When Mizuki told me that I was the Nine-Tailed Fox, it caused my memories to return."

Hiruzen tilted his Hokage headpiece so that the Nine-Tails couldn't see his eyes. He felt a myriad of emotions, ranging from sorrow to barely-restrained fury. "I don't know whether to believe you, or kill you on the spot. You attacked our village nearly thirteen years ago, killed many villagers and... you expect me to believe you?"

"Yes, for two reasons," the Nine-Tails countered. "I was controlled by an Uchiha unaffiliated with the village. He unsealed me from my previous container and hypnotized me into attacking the village. I regained control for about five minutes before I was resealed. During those five minutes, I both defended myself from the attacks of the ninja and continued what the Uchiha had me start.

"That was the first reason. The second reason is because I have no reason now to destroy the village." The Nine-Tails laughed. "And it's because of you, Iruka-sensei, the Ichirakus, my team, the 'Konohamaru Squad' and Hinata. You've all shown me friendship and care where I haven't felt anything like that ever since the Sage of Six Paths passed on."

"You knew the Sage?" Hiruzen asked in surprise.

"He was the closest thing I had to a father," the Nine-Tails replied. "He always said that someone would eventually show us Tailed Beasts friendship, but after being controlled, hypnotized, tortured, sealed and used as a chakra generator for many decades, I lost faith in his words. I don't know if that faith has been completely restored, but at least a bit of it has come back."

Hiruzen remained silent, processing what the Nine-Tails told him. _From what he's told me, __he's not lying and he has no reason to. Maybe Hashirama-sensei was wrong in believing that the Tailed Beasts were mindless and to be used as weapons, but... the Nine-Tailed Fox was the reason why my wife died, or was he? _"My wife was killed on the night of your attack. If I am to consider believing in your words, I want you to answer this question: did you kill her or did you not?"

"I... am not sure. While I can't remember the faces of every ninja or villager I killed that night, it's more likely than not that she was killed by the Uchiha," the Nine-Tails answered solemnly.

_This requires more research, but he may be right. _"Listen, Naruto, or Nine-Tails, I made a promise to Minato that I would protect you. It was his dying wish... And while I didn't understand it at first, now, I do. It will be hard trying to work with the one who caused such damage to the Hidden Leaf Village, but I am, at least, willing to try."

"...The only thing I can ask is for you to treat me the same as before, Lord Hokage," the Nine-Tails said with a genuine smile on his face, which felt unnatural, yet comforting.

"Hopefully, I can..." Hiruzen replied seriously. "Naruto. You may go for now. We'll discuss particulars for this... arrangement sometime next week."

Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tailed Fox, smiled brightly. "Of course, Old Man Hokage." He left his office immediately. Once he was gone, Hiruzen tilted his Hokage hat upwards. He felt far more tired, heavy than he had in twelve years.

_This will be difficult. Naruto has never lied to me, but at the same time, how am I to know that he won't destroy the village should he break free?_ _I need a contingency plan. _"Tenzō," he announced. The ANBU appeared in front of his desk.

"Yes, my Lord?" he asked.

"I want you to be on standby during the match between Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara. Should Naruto lose control of his tenant's chakra during that fight..." – _Oh, the irony _– "I want you to restrain him and Gaara. You will consider Naruto's loss of control to be him maintaining four or more tails of the Nine-Tails' chakra for longer than three minutes. This will be an S-Rank mission. Do you accept?"

"I do, my Lord," Tenzō answered.

"Good," Hiruzen smiled. Tenzō took his leave, leaving Hiruzen to sort out his mind, which had gone into overdrive thanks to Naruto's revealing that he was, is, the Nine-Tailed Fox.

_Can I trust the Nine-Tailed Fox? Only time can tell for something like that, but even so, if I can gain his trust, he may prove to be a valuable ally, more than just a weapon._


	24. Final Week of Training

Chapter 23: Final Week of Training

Kurama left the Hokage's office and walked home to his apartment. Revealing his identity to the Hokage had turned out better than he expected. At least he was willing to give him a chance. If the First Hokage was alive and in charge, he would have been used as a weapon and treated like he was a mindless beast if he were to reveal his identity, so he was quite grateful for the current Hokage's benevolence.

If he hadn't, then he might have been forced to leave. He had considered leaving the village on more than one occasion, but since he wasn't able to access all of his power – _damn Seal _ – he decided against it. Also, since he was a 'precious asset' to the village due to 'Naruto's' status as a jinchūriki and (less known, but equally notable to those who know it) the son of the Fourth Hokage, if he decided to leave and become a rogue ninja, he would be hunted and unable to defend himself.

And if he was killed while trapped in his body, he might die for real, due to the... unique circumstances behind his imprisonment inside his current container. At least the benefits of staying in the village far outweighed the drawbacks; otherwise it wouldn't have ended well for this village once he broke free. _Not at all._

Kurama finally entered the first floor of his apartment complex, where his landlady was sitting at the counter. She noticed him and waved at him to come closer, giving him a warm smile.

"What is it, Akane?" Kurama asked in an irritated tone.

Akane's smile disappeared as her blue eyes narrowed at her most profitable tenant's words. "I just wanted to ask you how your friend liked the stuff I gave you, is that a problem?" She waved a bang of her indigo hair away from her face.

Kurama sniffed. "Of course not. Sasuke liked it, so... thanks."

Akane smiled slightly returned. "No problem. After all, thanks to your ideas, you've made me a richer landlady."

"Why would you worry about money? Weren't you a kunoichi once?" Kurama asked.

Akane scowled. "I wasn't ever a kunoichi. I got training from my dad, but I never really wanted to be a kunoichi in the first place. Besides, there are ways to make money without having to kill for your village, or sacrifice yourself for it."

"Money's not the only reason people become ninja. It could be because of clan pressure, glory or the pursuit of power. I'm a shinobi because I want to find a way to be free," Kurama countered.

"Free from –" Akane started, but when Kurama waved his hand over his stomach, she connected the dots. "Oh, _that_. Now I see why you wanted to be a ninja in the first place."

Kurama grinned. "It's more necessity than anything. I need to be a ninja in order to fulfil my goal."

"And I don't. I have money and enough excitement in my life as it is without adding all of that ninja nonsense," Akane replied. "Anyway, you should come through here more often, instead of entering your floor via the roof. You're good company."

Kurama chuckled. "Maybe I will."

* * *

A few days later, Team Seven stood together at their meeting place. Kakashi had yet to arrive, which could only mean that he was planning something different for them to do.

Kurama, who was not wearing his signature orange jacket, looked at Sasuke, who was wearing a pointy bamboo hat that was tilted over his face. "Sasuke, where did you get that?"

"Hinata gave it to me," Sasuke replied. He gave Kurama a piercing, Sharingan-assisted glare.

Kurama began to feel dizzy, placing a hand on his forehead to quell the nauseating feeling he was having. "We're not training now, so why would you do that?"

Sasuke shut off his Sharingan and took off his hat, placing it in a sealing scroll that he immediately pocketed. "I wanted to test something out. Looks like it worked out better than expected. Besides, you always say that you want to be able to resist the effects of the Sharingan, so you shouldn't be so bothered if I use it on you."

Kurama placed his hands on the nearby railing in another attempt. "Just tell me when you want to use me as a test subject next time." He turned around, smirking at Sasuke. "At least I'm getting better at resisting it."

"Hn," Sasuke remarked. He was smirking as well. A lengthy tenure of silence ensued. During that time, each member of Team Seven performed a different elemental chakra exercise. Kurama was trying to sustain a small flame of chakra, keeping it from becoming too large. Sasuke placed his hands parallel to each other and shot lightning from one hand to the other, increasing the size of the lightning bolt each time. Sakura took water and was making it change shapes, ranging from a shuriken to a sphere.

"When's Kakashi-sensei going to get here?" Sakura moaned. "We've been waiting for over half an hour!"

"He must be busy," Sasuke replied. "Otherwise he'd be here."

Sakura was about to complain some more, but the arrival of Might Guy prevented her from doing that.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

Guy grinned. "Kakashi is on an important mission and has asked me to train you in his stead. Your training begins now with a run to the place we will be training at for the next three days." He began to jog at a brisk pace, stirring Team Seven into following him.

_I wanted to train with him anyways. _Kurama thought as he was jogging. _Now I have the opportunity to do so._

* * *

Team Seven arrived at Guy's training ground in only a few minutes, barely winded from what was supposed to be a village-wide jog.

"So, what do you think of our training ground?" Guy asked them, moving his hand in an arc encompassing his team's training ground.

The training ground that Guy and his team used was a simple field, when compared to the Third Training Ground's dense forest and large lake. Scattered throughout the field were training posts that were used for target practice and connected to a small forest to provide shade when one wanted to relax after training, but not much else.

It was the perfect place to train in Taijutsu, due to its wide, open field. The multitude of training posts made it great for weapons practice as well.

"It's alright, but it's a bad place to train in Water-style Ninjutsu," Sakura observed. Kurama and Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"Where's your team, Guy-sensei?" Kurama asked.

"They are currently performing their warm-up exercise: ten laps around the village. They should be finished quite soon," Guy replied.

True to his word, Lee, followed by his teammates Neji and Tenten, entered the training ground. Sasuke stared at Lee, who returned the stare with a bright smile.

"Sasuke!" Lee started. "When we fight next week, we will see whether natural-born genius can overcome tenacious hard work or not!"

Sasuke glared at Lee. "I'm only regarded as a genius because I worked hard at honing my skills. Potential and talent mean nothing without working at it. We'll finish what we started."

Lee's grin grew wider. "You are correct, Sasuke. Only through battle will we find out who is the strongest." Sasuke relaxed a bit, although he still maintained a stern expression.

"So... are you guys here to train with us or were you just trying to play mind games before next week's tournament?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, yes we are," Kurama answered bluntly. "And mind games? All Lee –"

"– has done is show Sasuke his undying resolve to win." Guy interrupted and ignored Kurama's scowl. "It would be most discourteous for him to try to unnerve his opponent, dishonourable even!"

Tenten pinched the bridge of her nose. "...Okay, forget I ever asked. So, Guy-sensei, what are we going to do for training today?"

"Glad you asked, Tenten!" Guy replied enthusiastically. "We'll be doing the usual today and then I'll split you up for sparring practice." Guy grasped his chin, deep in thought. "I'll have Naruto go with you, Tenten. Sasuke will go with Neji and Sakura can train with Lee."

"Guy-sensei? What's the 'usual'?" Sakura asked.

Guy grinned widely, although to Sakura, it looked unnatural. "We've already done the ten-kilometre run, so we'll start with one hundred pushups, one hundred situps and one hundred squats, before we continue with fifty suicides, using those training posts as markers. We'll do this _without _using chakra to reinforce your muscles."

Guy pointed at three training posts placed about five metres away from each other in a horizontal line. Kurama smirked. "Perfect. Can we begin?"

_We can do this; it's not much worse than what Kakashi-sensei has us do. _Sakura thought. She blanched when she heard Guy's next words. "Of course, but you will have to repeat this exercise five times in order to complete it." _That's a bit much, but not undoable, fortunately._

Guy raised his hand up high. "Ready? Then let's begin!" Guy drove his hand downwards dramatically. Team Seven and Team Guy dropped down to begin their exercise, some more enthusiastic to complete it than others.

* * *

Later on, after completing their training and taking a long break to relax, the six Genin split up in their respective pairs. Kurama and Tenten went to an area of the training ground that was devoid of any obstacles.

"So, Tenten, what training have you done so far?" Kurama asked while raising his hands upwards and reaching as high as he could.

"I've been working on my Taijutsu with Guy-sensei and my throwing speed, as well as one or two new techniques," Tenten replied. She reached downwards and split her legs apart wide enough that she would have to stretch in order to reach her foot with the opposite arm. "You?"

Kurama smiled, finishing his stretches. "Wind manipulation."

Tenten perked up. "Really? So you can help me learn how to counter Temari's wind blasts?" Kurama nodded. "Great! Let's begin!" Tenten drew out a kunai almost instantaneously and threw it at Kurama, who simply punched the air, deflecting the kunai with a burst of wind.

"That was fast, but you didn't follow up," Kurama lectured. "Don't be predictable when you fight Temari. Keep her guessing, make her nervous, complacent. And take any opportunity you can get to beat her. She's the enemy, show no mercy when fighting her."

"Let me try something else out. It's a big one, so be prepared," Tenten said seriously. Kurama formed a Shadow Clone and stepped to the side. Tenten drew out a kunai that had an explosive tag attached to it and threw it soon after. The clone was about to deflect it with a burst of wind, but Tenten ignited the explosive tag, causing a large-scale explosion.

Kurama blew away the lingering smoke and clapped his hands. "Interesting tactic, but you'll have to bait Temari into falling for the attack. If she has any brains, she'll see the attack coming and deflect it before it can do any damage. Think about taking advantage of the smokescreen to hit Temari before she can react."

Tenten took out a kunai and balanced the circular hilt on the edge of her finger. "Alright. I have a few ideas. Can you try to simulate Temari's fighting style for our spar?" Kurama gave her a thumbs-up.

Tenten drew out four kunai and threw them at Kurama, who deflected them with a single wind burst. While Kurama was distracted with the initial set of kunai, Tenten swerved to the side and dashed forward, throwing another three kunai towards Kurama.

Kurama opened his fist and placed it outwards, spinning in order to create a small tornado of wind, which deflected the kunai. Tenten was undeterred by this and charged at Kurama, trying to launch an open-palm uppercut. Kurama stepped to the side and blocked Tenten's follow-up roundhouse kick with his forearm, thrusting his other palm forward and hitting Tenten with a gust of wind, which blasted her away.

Tenten placed her palms on the ground, flipping upwards and throwing a kunai at Kurama, who deflected it with another wind burst. Tenten used Kurama's distraction to her advantage, dashing in to give him a lunge punch to the stomach. Kurama flipped over Tenten and slapped his hands together.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" Kurama launched a large gust of wind towards Tenten's back. However, she dropped to the ground, avoiding Kurama's attack. She got herself into a handstand and launched herself into the air, curling into a ball and spinning a couple of times, finally landing with her back towards Kurama. She turned around and placed herself into a fighting stance.

Kurama smiled. "Pretty good, but maybe you could have been a bit faster. Let's take it from the top, but this time, fight a bit harder."

Tenten grinned and pulled out a katana as quickly as she pulled out one of her projectile weapons, blurring out of existence and reappearing in front of Kurama, giving him an overhead swing. Fortunately for Kurama, he pulled out a kunai and blocked it with its blunt side, 'simulating' Temari's use of the fan. He pushed his kunai forward, using a bit of extra chakra to aid him.

Tenten jumped backwards, pulling three shuriken from her weapons holster and throwing them with her left hand. While Kurama deflected them with bursts of wind, Tenten came in with a horizontal slash from her katana, prompting Kurama to give her a side thrust kick before she could reach him, since he was unable to block the attack. Tenten took the brunt of the attack and skidded backwards, landing in a crouching position.

"Ready to give up yet?" Kurama asked tauntingly, trying to mimic Temari as much as he could.

Tenten's grin turned into a smaller smirk. "Against you?" She laughed. "You'll have to try harder than that!" The spar continued in that matter. Tenten quickly became capable of anticipating Kurama's attacks while simultaneously setting up attacks of her own, gaining an advantage in the fight.

She was about to end the match, due to her tactic of launching multiple senbon to slow Kurama down, using ninja wire to drag back the shuriken she threw at high and above Kurama after launching him into the air with an uppercut. However, Kurama's eyes seemed to flash red as he blocked the shuriken with a large burst of wind and pulled out a kunai, throwing it and using wind chakra to boost its acceleration.

Tenten was barely able to dodge the attack, but Kurama shot a much larger version of his wind burst at her, slamming her onto her back, causing her to bounce up before becoming unable to move. Immediately after, she felt an aching sensation coming from her back, which was dulled by Kurama holding his palms in front of her torso, which was glowing in a bright green colour.

"You know medical jutsu?" she asked. Kurama gave her a strained nod. What he was really doing was using his demonic chakra to heal Tenten and placing her under a Genjutsu in order to make her believe that he was using the Mystical Palm technique. He had to make sure that his demonic chakra didn't override the chakra he used for the Genjutsu. _If only Sasuke were here to use the Sharingan. Oh, never mind, she's already bought the excuse, so my trick is working out like I wanted it to._

"That was an interesting combo," Kurama said after he finished healing Tenten, who sat up soon after recovering. "If you could follow up with a barrage of kunai or senbon while she's trapped in the air, you could knock her out or even kill her."

Tenten gulped, but regained her composure with a smile. "That could work. I know a jutsu that can launch all my weapons sealed inside a special scroll of mine."

Kurama sat down next to her, cross-legged. "Cool." They sat together in calm silence, thinking about the spar they were having. "Do you remember... what that guy Kabuto told you, that you're related to some sort of weapons master?"

Tenten gave Kurama an examining look. Her brown eyes locked with his blue ones before she answered. "Yes, Higurashi's his name. I'm actually related to him, which is quite a surprise." She laughed. It sounded bitter, longing. "I never thought I could be related to anyone like him. The more I learn about this guy, the more I think, 'hey, I can be like him, he sounds like an awesome guy'.

"But at the same time, even though he was a great guy, he's not famous like Lady Tsunade is. He used the Sage's tools at one point and made many weapons and techniques, but nobody cares about him enough to remember his name or face, unless you dig in the right places."

Kurama gazed at Tenten, noticing her downcast expression. "I think that anyone that could use the Sage's tools would be quite powerful. Maybe he was around such a long time ago that if he didn't have offspring, he would have been lost to history."

"You have a point there, but still! I want to do something for him, even if we've never met before. He's family," Tenten said solemnly. After spending a few seconds in silence, she sprang up and extended a hand towards Kurama, who grabbed it. "We should get back to the others. See what they've been getting up to."

She pulled Kurama up and led him to the forest connected to the training ground, where Sasuke and Neji were training, or rather, sitting and staring at each other. Neji, who had the Byakugan activated, saw the pair and began to speak. "Is there something you're not telling me, Tenten?"

Sasuke looked at Kurama with his Sharingan activated and smirked. "Naruto Uzumaki, the number one lady's man." Upon hearing this, Tenten pulled her hand away from Kurama, her cheeks tinged in a luminescent red.

_Neji's not filled with hatred any longer, it seems, especially if he can crack a joke. _Kurama simply placed his free hand in his pocket. "And you two seem to be having some sort of... whatever you're doing."

"Sasuke offered to help me learn how to counter Genjutsu more effectively," Neji replied coolly, deactivating his Byakugan casually. "It is a weakness of mine and I hope to rectify it soon enough."

The swirling tomoe within Sasuke's Sharingan slowed down, before his eyes returned to normal. "In other words, I caught him in a Genjutsu before our fight started and he lost," he translated.

Tenten giggled. "I've never heard that happen to Neji before."

Neji stood up. "Well, I'll make sure that it won't happen again. Now, Tenten, shall we go to see what our most energetic teammate is up to?"

Tenten gave Neji a small smile. "Hopefully Sakura doesn't overreact to his... eagerness." They left together, leaving Kurama and Sasuke together. They began to follow Neji and Tenten.

"So you didn't fight with Neji at all?" Kurama asked.

"No. He was so adamant on learning how to block and dispel Genjutsu that he didn't want to spar at all." Sasuke raised his hands and shrugged. "Whatever. At least I got to practice _something_."

After walking in silence for about a minute, Kurama and Sasuke came to the training field where the other Genin were. Sakura saw them come and waved at them from where she was seated, before standing up in order to approach them. "Hey guys! How was your training?"

"Boring," Sasuke answered in a bored tone. "But at least I made some progress with Genjutsu."

Kurama's eyes twinkled. "I got some practice using my wind chakra, so it wasn't a waste of time. You?"

Sakura placed her fist in her opposite palm. "I sparred with Lee. It was a good test of my skills. You'll have your work cut out for you next week, Sasuke."

Sasuke frowned. "Thanks for the heads-up, Sakura."

"Alright," Guy announced. "You can take a break now but you must report back here in one hour."

Tenten slapped a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe that I forgot my weapons!" She ran hurriedly to the locations of her weapons.

Kurama laughed softly. _This was a nice practice, but I kind of hope that Kakashi-sensei returns quickly. _He walked away in the direction of Ichiraku Ramen. "Sasuke, Sakura, will you accompany me to Ichiraku Ramen?"

Sasuke smirked. "Sure, why not?"

"I'm all for it," Sakura replied with a smile. Team Seven departed from Team Guy's training ground to Ichiraku Ramen, better prepared for the Third Stage of the Chūnin Exam.

* * *

Kurama was on the Hokage Monument, sitting on the Third Hokage's head and watching the moonlit sky. He remembered that he would sit on the Fourth Hokage's head whenever he would come here before becoming a Genin, as if he had some sort of attachment to him. However, the Fourth was the reason why he was trapped in this body, so… _I'd rather not sit on his head._

The past few days were interesting: not only was he able to spar with all three of Guy's students, Kakashi came back a day early and for the first time in nearly a month, Team Seven practiced as a proper team. Kakashi was on a reconnaissance mission of some kind – the information was classified to them, but Kakashi did mention that it was important, an A-Rank mission in fact.

The most significant thing that happened during the week took place during the meeting between him and the Hokage.

* * *

_"Naruto…" The Hokage began. "I did some research into my wife's death: she was murdered a few minutes before your release into the village. Stabbed with a kunai, in fact." The Hokage's voice was heavier than what Kurama was used to hearing._

_"Did you know that the Uchiha were accused of controlling you during that day?" The Hokage continued after a long period of silence. "From what you told me, it seems that those few people who gave the accusation had a valid reason to be suspicious, didn't they?"_

_"Yes, but what's your point?" Kurama asked._

_"I need a description of this masked man – anything you can give me will be appropriate," the Hokage replied. "So long as he lives, he will be an enemy of the Hidden Leaf Village. Indirectly or otherwise, he is the reason why, other than Sasuke and his brother, the Uchiha Clan do not exist any longer."_

_After Kurama gave a description of the masked man: about Kakashi's height with an orange mask in a black spiral pattern, the Hokage continued speaking, "I feel like I've made many mistakes before, over things that I could have prevented… However, the only thing I can do now is try to rectify these mistakes before they become too much to handle._

_"And to think, the reason why you and I are speaking like this is because of a desperate mistake," the Hokage finished._

_"About that…" Kurama's gaze narrowed. "Unless you know what you're getting into, don't _ever _use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Not only do you die, if you don't use it properly, your enemy might get away alive."_

_The Hokage clasped his hands in front of his mouth and closed his eyes. "Power comes at a price, doesn't it?" The Hokage opened his eyes. "This was quite an enlightening discussion. Instead of having our discussions twice a month, we will have them once a month instead. However, you will supply me with a weekly document detailing your training with your chakra."_

_Kurama smiled. "I understand, Lord Hokage." _

_"Be grateful that I have taken a lenient approach in dealing with you, Naruto. I am only allowing you to live normally and not as a weapon because it is a better approach in the long term. Do not make me regret my decision," the Hokage warned gravelly._

_"…Of course." Kurama said stoically._

* * *

_It seems that the reason why the Uchiha Clan was wiped out was indirectly because of that masked bastard. That makes him one of the reasons why Sasuke is hell-bent on killing his brother, who did the deed. Now I have another reason to kill him. _Kurama was shaken out of his thoughts by a gravelly voice.

"Naruto Uzumaki…" Kurama stood up and turned around to see Gaara, whose arms were crossed.

"It's you." Kurama smirked. "What? Can't wait for our match? Only a couple more days until then, it isn't so hard to wait, now is it?"

"My Mother, even now, is screaming, begging for me to kill you," Gaara intoned. "My father made me into the ultimate weapon and gave me everything I could ask for, at first. I thought I loved him… until he tried to kill me repeatedly. I want to kill him, but not like I want to kill you, even though you've done nothing to me."

"Then why do you want to kill me?" Kurama asked, trying to goad Gaara into giving relevant information.

"Without my father's love, with my pathetic siblings living in fear of me, living in a village that hates me, what other existence is there for me?" Gaara chuckled darkly. "When my mother gave birth to me, she died because a demon, the Shukaku, was sealed inside of me. Her death gave me life and as such, I will end the lives of others to validate my existence!

"When I look at you, I see that you are exactly like me. You live only for yourself. Everybody else exists as an obstacle for you to crush. That is why I must kill you. You will validate my existence to a far greater degree than anyone else has before – all of the assassins, my foolish uncle who _betrayed _me so callously, their deaths will be _nothing_ compared to yours!

"Naruto Uzumaki, you are the one that will truly make me feel alive!"

Kurama's grin didn't falter, but his eyes became red. "If you can kill me when we fight in two or so days, there will be few things that can stop you."

Gaara grinned demonically, his eyes widening to the point that they nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Absolutely. Until then, Naruto Uzumaki…" He disappeared in a tornado of sand.

Kurama's grin grew wider, more demonic. "It seems that Shukaku's done a number on you, hasn't he? No matter, Gaara. Shukaku _is _the weakest of the Tailed Beasts. When we fight, I will show you why nine tails are better than one!" Kurama leaned backwards, beginning to chuckle. His chuckling grew in intensity and volume as it went on, becoming a full-on hysterical laugh that reverberated throughout the village.

_Gaara, once I'm done with Shukaku, you may just turn out to be alright - I'll help you become normal. After all, you and I are alike in more ways than you can think and you need more reasons to live than just to kill. _

* * *

**Author's Note**: This preparation arc has been a drag to do. If I do the Exam again, I'm only doing key parts of it from now on. Anyway, I've set up all the dynamics I need for the exam. If you have anything to say about this or previous chapters, don't be afraid to say it.


	25. Might of a Kunoichi

Chapter 24: Might of a Kunoichi

The day of the Third Stage of the Chūnin Exam finally arrived and each participant went about it in a different way, whether it was getting into the proper mood, preparing for whatever might happen during that day or even just getting moral support from friends or family.

While the tournament itself would promise entertaining fights by the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand's most promising Genin, there was an underlying tension surrounding the tournament. All of the Hidden Leaf's shinobi of Chūnin rank or higher were called back from their missions and told via a myriad of methods that their beloved village would be invaded.

The majority of the village's civilians were moved to the village's defense shelters so that when the invasion happened, there would be almost no civilian deaths due to the fighting. Only noblemen, merchants and other dignitaries were in the arena, as well as civilians and shinobi who wanted to watch the tournament.

The stadium used for the tournament was designed in such a way as to protect its spectators from the residual damage of the fights that took place on the battlefield, with the seats being placed at a high enough point that no ninjutsu could accidentally hurt the spectators.

As it was, Hayate Gekkō was in better shape than ever. Gaining the memory of being sliced by multiple wind blades was unpleasant, but at the same time, inspiring. He trained intensely for three weeks, only taking a break during the two days before this day.

After the Hokage gave his welcoming speech, Hayate began his speech with confidence. "To everyone who has gathered here, welcome to the Third Stage of the Chūnin Exam!" The medicine he took was a temporary relief to his constant coughing, but it was only temporary, which was why he didn't consider using it before.

"We will start proceedings immediately, so I will ask Temari and Tenten Higurashi to stay here while the rest of the participants head to the designated waiting area," he said confidently.

Once the other six participants left the vicinity of the arena, Temari and Tenten faced each other.

"The same rules from the preliminary apply here. You may begin immediately."

* * *

"Higurashi?" Temari asked. She took a step backwards to create distance between her and her opponent. "You actually believed that Kabuto guy?"

Tenten smiled after taking a step backwards herself. "He was right. I did some research and found out that I was related to him."

Temari smirked. "So what then? You latched onto his name so that you could make yourself look better?"

Tenten drew out a kunai. "No. Higurashi did a lot and he's an inspiring person, but the main reason why I took his name is because he's my family, the only family I have. I want people to remember what he did, but I won't ride on the coat-tails of his reputation. I'll create my own reputation, starting now!"

Tenten threw the kunai she was holding, aiming at Temari's chest. Temari gripped her fan and shimmered, which caused the kunai to phase through her. The kunai dug into the ground, up to the end of its blade.

"Is that all you've got? Such a weak attack won't work on me," Temari said condescendingly. Tenten raised her hand and a seal lit up on her palm, wrapping along her forearm. A bo-staff appeared in front of Tenten, which she grabbed and twirled, entering a stance where she gripped the staff with both hands and tilted it downwards.

"How about this?" Tenten shot back. Tenten dashed towards Temari and delivered a thrust with her staff towards Temari's sternum. Temari grabbed her fan and used it to knock the staff aside, but before she could counter Tenten's thrust with one of her own, Tenten moved away.

_That sealing tattoo idea worked better than I expected. _During the past month of training, Tenten developed a way to summon her weapons without having to pull out one of her sealing scrolls. By painting a seal on her palm and painting an identical seal on the scroll she wanted to use, she was able to pull any weapon she wanted from that scroll. She was only able to use this method for two different scrolls at the moment – the seals were painted on each palm.

Tenten returned the staff to her scroll and pulled out four shuriken from her weapons holster. She threw them at Temari, who deflected them with a blast of wind from her palm. _Predictable. _Tenten placed her hands in the ram seal, igniting the explosive tag attached to the first kunai she threw, the one that Temari avoided. Temari was knocked off her feet by the concussive blast, but didn't hesitate in getting up, despite her back being singed and covered in soot.

"Cheap move. Not bad for a Leaf ninja, but it won't work again." Temari took her fan and opened it slightly, swinging it at her opponent. Tenten's right-palm tattoo lit up as she summoned a large metal shield to block the wind, which covered her from just above her mouth to below her knees. Simultaneously, Tenten's left-palm tattoo lit up. She summoned a spear and threw it at Temari, who was still in the process of swinging her fan.

Temari bent backwards, which prevented the spear from impaling her – it impaled the arena wall instead. Temari shot upright and sent a larger gust of wind to her opponent, but Tenten stayed steady, using the shield to protect her and sticking to the ground with chakra.

"What's wrong?" Temari taunted. "Too scared to fight me? I knew you Hidden Leaf ninja were pathetic!"

_If I stick to the ground, I can avoid or lessen the damage sustained from most of Temari's attacks. _Tenten grinned from behind her shield, returning it to her scroll. She threw two kunai at Temari, who blocked them casually, only to sidestep frantically to avoid a kunai that was thrown while she was focused on the other two, which exploded, creating a smokescreen.

Using the Great Breakthrough technique to blow away the smokescreen, Temari scowled. _I need to end this match quickly_. _She withdrew her shield, so let's start from there. _Temari opened her fan to 'two moons', swinging the fan to release cutting wind chakra, instead of the previously emitted gusts and gales.

Tenten stuck to the ground, staying low and moving to the side to avoid the immense burst of wind, but Temari threw a kunai towards her projected destination, stopping her in her tracks. Temari quickly followed up with another cutting wind blast, which caused Tenten to be cut up in multiple places. However, Tenten anchored herself to the ground using chakra and was able to stay on her feet, bloody but still able to fight.

"Give up, little girl!" Temari screeched.

Tenten smirked. "Not yet." _If this tactic doesn't work... I hope that Lord Hokage has seen enough of my skills._ Tenten threw a kunai at Temari, who smirked. Tenten formed the handseals to one of her new jutsu. "Shadow Clone Kunai Jutsu!" The one kunai became fifteen, which hurtled towards Temari. She blasted wind chakra at the kunai, dispelling the fourteen copies. However, the last kunai dropped about a metre away from Temari.

_Perfect. _Tenten placed her hands in the ram seal, closing her eyes just before igniting the flash bomb tag on the last kunai.

"Ah, my eyes!" Temari shrieked. Tenten opened her eyes and immediately took out two scrolls, bending down to one knee, placing her scrolls on either side of her. With the scrolls prepared, she formed the handseal combination to her most powerful technique.

"Rising Twin Dragons!" A large plume of smoke erupted as two smoke dragons rose from the smokescreen. Wrapping around each other, the smoke eventually subsided to show two unwrapped scrolls in a helix formation. Tenten rose up to the top of her scrolls and began unsealing the majority of her weapons, throwing them at Temari with terrifying accuracy.

Temari blinked as many times as she could to clear her vision, since she could hear the whizzing of many projectiles. Her vision cleared up enough to see what would be a frightening sight... if she wasn't a specialist in the Wind chakra nature. Temari opened her fan to 'three moons' and spun, ignoring the pain from being hit with kunai, shuriken, senbon, sickles and an assortment of other weapons, blunt and sharp.

"Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" With all of her strength, Temari swung her fan, blowing back the remaining weapons and catching Tenten in a tornado of cutting wind. After the winds of the tornado subsided, Tenten dropped to the ground, bouncing off it before rolling uncontrollably. Temari stabbed her fan into the ground, using it to support her as she leaned into it, aching from all of the weapons currently impaling her body, as well as the scrapes and cuts she was forced to endure.

_At this rate, I might not have enough energy to support the invasion. _Temari panted and tried to recover her energy. Her eyesight was fully recovered and what she saw caused her eyes to enlarge in shock. _How is that girl still able to stand? _Tenten's shirt was stained with red and her body was covered in cuts and bruises that were oozing out blood.

"Why won't you give up?" Temari asked desperately.

Tenten chuckled and wiped the blood coming from a large cut on her cheek. "The end is so close, so if I give up now, all my previous effort would have been for nothing." A kusarigama appeared in Tenten's right hand soon after her sealing tattoo lit up. _This is my last chance, if I don't finish this combination, then I'm done for._

Tenten grasped the chain and spun it above her, aiming it at Temari's fan. Temari was about to open her fan again, but the sickle attached to the end of the chain wrapped around the fan, preventing Temari from completing her attack. Tenten pulled the fan away and dropped the kusarigama, weaving through handseals for the Replacement jutsu.

Tenten replaced herself with one of the weapons scattered by Temari's wind blasts and charged at Temari, driving her palm upwards for an uppercut. Temari was caught in the chin and was launched upwards. She hit the ground with a thud and tried desperately to get up and end the match, but she was tired, bleeding and nearly out of chakra, falling into blissful unconsciousness instead.

"The winner of this match is Tenten Higurashi!" Hayate declared. The crowd erupted into wild applause at the incredible match they just witnessed. Tenten beamed brightly at the applause, but when she took a step forward, her entire body pulsed in agony. Bone-tired and her chakra reserves depleted, Tenten collapsed, a smile still present on her face.

While the medics were taking Temari and Tenten (who was only unconscious) to the recovery ward and the array of scattered weapons were being collected, the Hokage was thinking about the match from his seat high above the arena.

_What a fine display of weapons skill. Even if she was fighting at a severe disadvantage, Tenten used a few innovative tactics to overcome that. She will be a magnificent weapons master, just like her ancestor. _

"That girl with the weapons was an interesting fighter, don't you think, Lord Hokage?" The Kazekage asked.

The Hokage blinked. "Yes, of course, Lord Kazekage. Temari also did well, don't you agree?"

"...Of course," the Kazekage replied curtly.

Once the arena was fully cleared, Hayate got the attention of the spectators. "Hinata Hyūga and Sakura Haruno, please come to the arena."

* * *

Over at the nobleman section of the arena, Neji Hyūga was looking at the battlefield with intense scrutiny. _Tenten did well, very well. However, she will have a more difficult fight ahead of her against the winner of the next match. _

Neji was shaken out of his thoughts by his younger cousin's voice. "What is it, Lady Hanabi?"

"Do you think Hinata will win today, Neji?" Hanabi asked.

Neji gave Hanabi a small smile. "I don't know. Lady Hinata is quite strong – she even beat me, but Sakura is an unknown. I got an opportunity to spar with her and she was able to hold her own. She's also teammates with that boy, Naruto – the boy who helped your sister." Hanabi frowned. "What's wrong now?"

"There's something different about that Naruto, something I can't place," Hanabi said sternly.

"Why would you say something like that?" Neji asked in order to humour his cousin. _Most of the weapons have been cleared up, so the match will start soon._

* * *

_Hanabi was currently standing in front of Naruto. She found him at a ramen bar and managed to convince him to train with her and, consequently, she was led to a training ground with a dense forest and a large lake._

_"So, why do you want to spar with me?" Naruto asked._

_"I asked my sister how she became so strong and she said that she was given inspiration from training with you," Hanabi replied. "That can't be all, can it?"_

_"All I gave her was a little 'push' in the right direction. She did the rest of the work by herself."_

_Hanabi scowled. "I don't believe you."_

_"Why? I'm being honest. Hinata had the skills to be a strong ninja, she was just too shy and timid." Naruto frowned. "And by hearing the way you speak about her, I can see why she had low self-esteem."_

_"What do you mean? I like my sister; how she's kind and nice to everyone she meets – she treats everyone with respect, whether they're the lowliest orphan or the most prestigious nobleman."_

_Naruto smiled. "As you can see, I'm not the only one who believed in Hinata."_

_"Yes, I believe in her," Hanabi snapped. "But all Hinata did was lose in every spar that we had, even though she could have won on more than one occasion. I just can't believe that Hinata, my sister, the heir to our clan, could be so pathetic."_

_"And now? How is she?" Naruto prodded._

_Hanabi gave Naruto a small smile. "She's not pathetic anymore. Our relationship is stronger than ever and even if I lose against her in a spar, she's always supportive, never condescending."_

_"Well, Hinata thinks highly of you as well. She even recommended that if I needed to spar against a Hyūga, I should spar with you." Naruto fell into a peculiar stance. "Show me that she wasn't wrong, since she said that before she became confident in her skills."_

_Hanabi entered the Gentle Fist stance. "If that's what you want, I'll be happy to oblige." _

* * *

"Well, it looks like I'm not the only person that changed because of Hinata's strengthened resolve," Neji replied pleasantly. "She showed me that if she could change her fate, so could I."

_How many more people will change because of that boy? _Hanabi and Neji simultaneously thought.

Over at the waiting arena, Kurama sneezed. _Must have been some sort of coincidence and not that silly myth. After all, I don't get sick. _"You two are up," Kurama said to Sakura and Hinata. "Good luck."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks for the support, Naruto."

Hinata gave Kurama a radiant smile. "Thank you, Naruto." After Sakura and Hinata used the Body Flicker to enter the battlefield, Kurama turned to Sasuke.

"Who do you think will win?" Kurama asked.

Sasuke smirked. "Not sure, really. If I didn't spar with Hinata myself, I'd say Sakura, but... the kunoichi who will win this fight won't necessarily be the stronger one, just the one with the better strategy."

"My thoughts exactly," Kurama said with a feral smile.

* * *

Hinata stood in front of Sakura, a cold smile planted on her face. "Good luck, Sakura."

Sakura smiled similarly to Hinata. "Same to you, Hinata. And no hard feelings, alright?" _We may be friends, but for this match, that means nothing. _Hinata nodded sharply.

"You may begin your match," Hayate announced. Immediately after that, Hinata activated her Byakugan and dashed towards Sakura, aiming a chakra-laced palm strike at her midsection. Sakura formed a blade made of dark-green chakra in order to parry the attack. She formed an identical blade in her other hand and spun in an anti-clockwise direction, delivering a horizontal cut to Hinata's torso.

Hinata countered Sakura's Chakra Dagger with another chakra-laced palm strike and followed up with a series of palm strikes. Sakura deflected them with her twin Chakra Daggers, but Hinata managed to break through Sakura's defense. Sakura was able to Replace herself with a log, which exploded upon contact with Hinata's Gentle Fist strike.

Sakura did a single handstand, pushing as hard as she could in order to propel herself into the air. Sakura threw three kunai at Hinata, who deflected them with kunai of her own. Sakura went through different handseals and dove to the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow River!" After Sakura slammed her palms onto the ground, the ground between and beneath Hinata and Sakura turned into mud. While Hinata was trying to break free of the mud that formed and captured her feet, Sakura formed two Water Clones and an Earth Clone. She sent them to distract Hinata while she dug underground and prepared a new combination she worked on with her father, forming an Earth Clone in the process, in case she needed backup.

_Be like water, Dad said. Whether you're walking on land or digging through earth, you must be fluid. _Sakura dug through the earth and stopped just below Hinata. She rose up from the ground and formed two whips made of water, using them to latch onto Hinata, who had just destroyed Sakura's last clone. _Damn, she's stronger than before. _Sakura turned and used the water whips to pick up Hinata and flip her over, slamming her onto the ground.

At the last moment, Hinata broke the whips using chakra and landed on her feet. Before Hinata could gain any advantage from Sakura's compromised position, Sakura dug underground, surfacing a few metres away from her opponent.

"You're pretty good, Hinata." Sakura coated her entire body in earth armour, causing her skin to adopt a greyish sheen. The armour would substantially increase her strength and durability, without sacrificing speed.

Hinata smiled confidently. "Thank you, but the best is yet to come, as they say." Sakura threw a kunai at Hinata, who spun around it once it reached her. Sakura charged at Hinata soon after, intending to give her a shoulder tackle, but Hinata crouched and flipped over Sakura, aiming a palm strike at Sakura's unprotected back.

Sakura spun fluidly on her feet and met Hinata's strike with a punch augmented by both Earth and normal chakra, creating a shockwave from the collision. Sakura aimed another punch at Hinata's face, but Hinata grabbed Sakura's wrist with her free hand, sending chakra through the wrist and along her arm, which caused it to go numb and return to its normal cream colour.

Sakura retreated to a safe distance in order to assess the damage done to her arm. _I can still fight, but for how much longer? _Sakura shook her arm in order to regain its movement, fortunate that Hinata was busy checking whether or not her hand would be usable. Sakura reformed the earth armour over her arm and formed handseals to the third jutsu her mother taught her.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" Sakura slammed her palms onto the ground, forming and standing on top of a large pillar about five metres in height. Sakura's entire body shimmered in chakra, before she focused that chakra, directing it onto her right fist, which began to shimmer in a blue light.

Hinata looked at Sakura, shaking her hand and tightening it. _It looks like I'll have to use _that _jutsu. _Sakura jumped off of the Earth Wall, diving fist-first towards Hinata.

"Sakura Blizzard!" Sakura's fist was encased in earth, which resulted in it having a larger diameter. Chakra was flowing from it, coiling around her forearm and spiralling outwards. During Sakura's descent, Hinata placed her palm outwards and coiled her fingers. The air around her arm began to suck in towards it, similar to a vacuum, due to the gathered amount of chakra.

"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!" Hinata thrust her palm outwards, meeting Sakura's attack with a burst of concentrated chakra. A much larger shockwave was created, causing the ground below to crack and collapse into a crater. A large cloud of smoke erupted as well, covering the two fighters.

After the smoke cleared, Hinata was standing in the Gentle Fist stance, anchored to a crater two feet deep. Sakura lay mangled and breathing heavily far away from her opponent, before collapsing into a large puddle of mud.

"An Earth Clone?" Hinata asked incredulously. Her answer was Sakura rising from the ground, hitting her with a mighty uppercut. Hinata regained her bearings before making contact with the ground, landing on her hands and executing a cartwheel to land on her feet.

"Yeah, an Earth Clone," Sakura replied. Her breathing was heavy and she was hunched over slightly. "I formed an Earth Clone while you were fighting my other clones and I replaced myself with it just before I performed the Sakura Blizzard. It wasn't easy, replacing myself without you noticing, but it paid off.

"However, I know when I'm beat. If I continue, I might win, but I'll be wasting what little chakra I have left. Proctor, I forfeit."

"In that case, the winner, by forfeit, is Hinata Hyūga!" Hayate stated. Sakura went over to Hinata and stretched out her hand.

"I enjoyed the match, Hinata," Sakura beamed. "You've really come a long way."

Hinata returned the handshake, smiling brightly. "So did I, Sakura. Thank you for believing in me."

_I just hope that my show of Ninjutsu was enough for Lord Hokage to notice my skills. _Sakura thought as she walked towards the arena stands. _Now I can enjoy Sasuke and Naruto's fights – and give them the support they need to win._

* * *

**Jutsu List**:

Sakura Blizzard: B-Rank Ninjutsu, offensive. The user gathers chakra in his or her fist until the chakra is visible and strikes his or her opponent with the fist. If done from the air, the Sakura Blizzard will crack the ground, creating a crater and sending plumes of dust and debris into the air, similar to a blizzard. Earth chakra can be used as a substitute for the gathered chakra or used in addition to the chakra, increasing the damage done to the opponent.

Chakra Dagger: A-Rank Ninjutsu, offensive (Parent jutsu: Chakra Scalpel). The user gathers chakra around his or her hand, forming a thin blade of dark green chakra. The length of the blade is proportional to the amount of chakra used in the attack. Once the blade is formed, the user can use it like a bladed weapon, but due to the amount of chakra required to form and maintain the blade, it is best used during assassinations, where it can be deployed and sheathed without leaving a blood trail.


	26. Tenacity

Chapter 25: Tenacity

Sasuke could feel the eyes of every single spectator on him as he walked towards the centre of the battlefield. He was the Last Uchiha and many people would expect for him to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious clan. So if he fell here, his own reputation wouldn't be the only thing in jeopardy. The entire future of his clan would be determined by how he performed.

So when he looked at Rock Lee, a shinobi without a clan, who was incapable of using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, the outcome of the match should have been set in stone, according to anyone who knew about the Uchiha and their legendary Sharingan. Sasuke knew better than to underestimate somebody that had everything to gain and nothing to lose.

He wasn't sure he could win against someone like that. Even though his face was expressionless and his gaze intense, his heart was pounding frantically and there was a deep pit in his stomach that just wouldn't go away. He was afraid that he would tarnish his clan's reputation, but at the same time, if he won, maybe he could create a reputation of his own, separate from his clan's reputation.

_But then again, I _am _the Uchiha Clan. Its heir, its leader, its legacy. _

After a wait that felt agonizingly long, the proctor told them to begin. Immediately, Sasuke flashed through handseals, not wanting to waste time on what would be the hardest and most important fight of his shinobi career.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Several fireballs erupted from Sasuke's mouth, all of them racing towards their target. Lee dropped to his knees and charged at full speed towards Sasuke, aiming an aerial thrust kick at Sasuke's midsection while avoiding the fireballs. Sasuke replaced himself with one of the shuriken inside the fireballs, which resulted in Lee missing his target completely as the shuriken hit the ground with a clattering jingle.

Once Sasuke touched the ground, he rushed towards Lee, chakra increasing his speed beyond his natural limits. Lee turned around and immediately lowered his gaze, avoiding staring into the Sharingan and falling victim to an unbreakable illusion. Lee was about to counter Sasuke's punch, but Sasuke disappeared from his vision, reappearing almost a moment after. Lee ignored the pain of being kicked in the ribs by Sasuke and punched in the face a split moment later, retreating to a safe distance.

_What type of speed is that? _Lee thought. Sasuke's breathing was slightly heavier from executing the Double Body Flicker, which caused members of the audience to look at the young Uchiha with increased interest. However, Sasuke decided against using that technique until he got used to the strain the technique caused – he was, essentially, in two places at once.

Sasuke used a single Body Flicker to appear in front of Lee and continued the fight. Without his weights on, Lee was able to counter Sasuke's brutal, yet fluid onslaught with startling ease. Jabs were parried; kicks were blocked and uppercuts dodged, but when Lee exploited a temporary opening in Sasuke's guard after sidestepping a right cross, Sasuke gave Lee a knife-hand strike under the ribs, sending a jolt of electricity coursing through Lee's body.

Lee clenched his teeth, ignoring the increasing numbness around the area he was hit and struck Sasuke's sternum and diaphragm simultaneously. Sasuke hit the ground forcefully, bounding back on his feet nearly immediately; despite the nearly bone-crushing pain he was feeling. Ignoring the aching of his torso, Sasuke formed a Water Clone to distract Lee while he prepared a Genjutsu that would debilitate Lee.

Just after Lee destroyed the clone, Sasuke introduced his chakra into Lee's chakra network, with the intention of inducing a (minor) feeling of drunkenness, which would give Sasuke ample opportunity to stack more debilitating illusions on Lee.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. Lee's eyes glazed over and he began to sway as he walked towards Sasuke. Sasuke paid no mind to this change in Lee's fighting style and approached him, attempting to strike Lee with a backfist, which Lee avoided with unnatural flexibility.

_What's going on? _Sasuke thought. His attempt to strike Lee with two jabs followed by a haymaker was met with Lee dodging the attempted strikes with that same unnatural flexibility. Then Lee pounced, slapping Sasuke hard in the face.

"Do you think you can match me, Uchiha? You won't beat a Genius of Hard Work!" Lee slurred. As if a switch flipped on in Lee's brain, he dashed forward, striking Sasuke with a series of blows. Even with his Sharingan, Sasuke was put on the defensive. Unlike before, Lee's fighting style was wild, unorthodox. It was exciting to fight against, yet incredibly dangerous.

Lee continued his drunken onslaught, giving Sasuke a wild backhand, only to catch Sasuke unawares with a backfist to the sternum. _My chokutō would have been useful fighting against Lee, but... _Sasuke didn't get enough practice with his new weapon, forcing him to go without it for his match.

"Are you proud of me now, Guy-sensei? The Uchiha can't beat me!" Lee drawled loudly. Sasuke's pained groan went unheard by the intoxicated Taijutsu expert, who leaned backwards to avoid a thrust kick, placing his hands on the ground and battering Sasuke's chest with a series of kicks, which Sasuke was barely able to block. Lee bent backwards, dodging Sasuke's punch and contorting around Sasuke's arm, giving him a knife-hand stab to the throat. Sasuke caught his hand and before Lee could follow up with another attack, Sasuke sent chakra into Lee's chakra network, dispelled the illusion Lee was trapped in.

_I'll stick with normal Lee. Drunk Lee is impossible to fight against! _Sasuke thought, glaring at his opponent.

Lee's eyes flickered repeatedly. He was dazed and suffering from a terrible headache, unable to avoid Sasuke's knee being planted into Lee's gut. Sasuke pushed away Lee by pulling his knee upwards and caught him in the chin, launching him upwards.

"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!" Sasuke shouted. Appearing under Lee, he drove a knee into the small of Lee's back, causing him to arch around the knee. Sasuke circled around Lee, driving a forearm onto Lee's sternum, then an elbow to the diaphragm. Sasuke spun and gave Lee an axe kick to the stomach, driving him to the ground.

"That was the Lion Combo. Now, to put this fight beyond doubt," Sasuke growled, still in the air. He weaved through handseals at a frighteningly fast rate and aimed downwards. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The chakra-sustained flamethrower raced towards Lee. Just before Lee could make contact with the ground, he focused and placed his hands on the ground, pushing off it and spinning three times before landing on his feet. He wasn't able to fully escape the Fireball, with his leg warmers being burnt in places.

"This is the most exciting match that I've ever been in!" Lee declared. After Sasuke returned to the ground, he was surprised to see that Lee showed no signs of ever being drunk, although he was panting from exertion. "Unfortunately for you, Sasuke, once I tap into the infinite power of the Eight Gates, the match will be over! First Gate: Gate of Opening. Open!"

Lee's chakra spiked and quickly became visible. "I will defend my ninja way and show the entire world how splendid a ninja I can be! Second Gate: Gate of Rest. Open!" Lee continued in this manner, releasing the Third and Fourth Gates. As a result of opening four of the Eight Gates, Lee's skin became blood-red, his eyes became pupil-less and a green aura enveloped him.

_So much chakra! _Sasuke thought. He formed four Water Clones and burrowed underground, barely avoiding Lee's chakra-enhanced punch, which ploughed through the clone right in front of him. A moment later, Sasuke appeared behind Lee and enveloped both of his hands in lightning chakra, sending jolts of electricity rippling through Lee's body.

Sasuke continued to send lightning chakra into Lee, before Lee pulled his leg away, creating a minor shockwave. Once Lee pulled away his other leg, Sasuke burrowed underground again, surprised that Lee wasn't feeling anything from the attack. _I'm almost out of chakra... _Sasuke thought, his brow furrowing in worry. Sasuke covered his torso and head in Earth chakra – a technique he copied from his teammate.

_It's a good thing that this didn't require me to master Earth manipulation, but it's tearing through my chakra reserves! _Sasuke pondered.

Sasuke dug out of the ground, striking Lee's chin with a fist encased in lightning chakra. Lee reeled back, but returned Sasuke's strike with a punch to the midsection, which sent Sasuke hurtling to the arena wall. Just before he could strike the wall, Lee appeared behind him, launching him upwards. Before Lee could finish Sasuke off with a mighty axe kick, Sasuke replaced himself with one of his remaining clones, who was destroyed on impact.

Lee dived headfirst to the ground, turning 180 degrees and planting his feet onto the ground. In a barely visible burst of speed, Lee appeared in front of Sasuke and gave him an incredible punch to the face, only to find that his bandage-covered hand was soaking, before the water evaporated completely.

"Dynamic Entry!" Lee exclaimed, striking a wide-eyed Sasuke in the midsection, which sent him flying, causing a wide crack to form where Sasuke struck the wall. Sasuke crumpled to the ground, barely in a sitting position. The chakra that signified Lee's use of the Eight Gates disappeared as Lee collapsed, due to a combination of numbness, severe fatigue and the Sharingan-illusion he was unable to avoid.

Hayate looked to the winner, whose eyes just closed after the loser's did. He was surrounded by debris and a cloud of dust. "The winner of this match is Sasuke Uchiha!" The crowd broke into a deafening applause as both Sasuke and Lee were tended to by medics, before being taken to the hospital ward post-haste.

"The Uchiha is quite a talented boy, don't you think, Lord Hokage?" the Kazekage asked over at the Kage section.

The Hokage chuckled. "Yes, Lord Kazekage. Lee has shown such remarkable progress as well."

The Kazekage remained silent, pondering Sasuke's victory. _What a talented child. He's... perfect. _

* * *

Kurama was shaking in excitement. _Both Sakura and Sasuke did quite well, even if their matches _were _incredibly close. Now, all the proctor has to do is call out my name... _

"Naruto Uzumaki, Gaara, please come to the arena." Hayate ordered. Kurama grinned demonically, but before he could use the Body Flicker, his wrist was grabbed by Hinata.

"Good luck, Naruto," Hinata said with a hint of concern in her voice. "Do your best. I believe in you, but please don't take this too far, ok?"

Kurama's grin softened. "Thanks for the support, but I'll have to give this fight everything I have. I'll stay safe, so don't worry." Hinata let go of Kurama's wrist and watched him disappear in a puff of smoke.

_Naruto... don't die, please. _Hinata thought.

Over at the Kage section, the Hokage was considering the ramifications of this match. _Naruto, if I can call him that, will eventually unleash his demonic chakra against the child. As long as he doesn't overdo it, there won't be a cause for unrest amongst the villagers. _

While the audience was waiting for Gaara to enter the arena, the six remaining members of the Rookie Nine were looking at Kurama and considering his chances.

"Naruto might have gotten stronger, but he's going to get killed by Gaara!" Kiba barked. "He should quit now."

Ino snorted. "No way!" Shikamaru just smirked at Ino's outburst while Chōji ate from a bag of barbeque chips, keeping quiet. While they didn't show it, they agreed with Ino.

"I never knew you supported Naruto, Ino," Sakura said teasingly.

_That _boy _is the Nine-Tailed Fox_. _He'll probably pull off some monstrous technique and swat Gaara away like he's an insect._ Ino thought in disgust. She didn't let that disgust seep into her voice. "It's not that. It's just that _Naruto _always has some sort of trick up his sleeve."

"Fair enough," Sakura replied. _Naruto... don't overdo it, alright? _

Gaara finally arrived at the arena, arms crossed and his sand gourd uncorked. His face was blank, but internally, he was shaking with barely-restrained excitement. Kurama's grin was almost face-splitting as he opened and closed his fists in pure enthusiasm.

"Naruto Uzumaki vs. Gaara. Begin!" Hayate declared. Immediately after, Gaara thrust his hand in front of him and sent a towering wave of sand towards Kurama, who took out a kunai and sent a crescent-shaped blade of wind towards the sand, bisecting it vertically. Kurama took the kunai and placed it a reverse grip, extending its length with Wind chakra.

Using Wind chakra to enhance his movements and time in the air – something he discovered he could do during his spar against Tenten the week before – Kurama jumped above the approaching sand and focused his Wind chakra into his right fist.

"Wind Style: Cyclone Fist!" A burst of chakra shaped like a cyclone twisted and spun towards Gaara. Gaara raised a wall of sand, but it was broken down by the gale-force winds created by the technique. In response, Gaara surrounded himself with a dome made of sand, protecting him from the Cyclone Fist. What appeared to be a spear of sand erupted from the dome, aimed at Kurama.

Kurama twirled his kunai and held it vertically, which forced the spear to split around the wind-enhanced kunai. Once his feet touched the ground, he dashed away from the quickly approaching sand, shooting concentrated bursts of wind chakra at the dome surrounding Gaara. The dome began to crack from withstanding the intense amount of pressure created by Kurama's technique, before dissolving.

The sand used to create the dome rose up, swirling around Gaara, before spreading outwards, racing towards Kurama, who cut up the sand with the speed of a master swordsman, before blowing it away with the Gale Palm technique. Kurama smirked smugly and went through handseals.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Kurama said bluntly. The flamethrower was blocked by a wall of sand, which formed shards of glass that dropped harmlessly to the ground. Another wave of sand rushed towards Kurama, who blocked it by placing his hands in front of him, forming a shield made of wind that blocked the sand completely.

Kurama's chakra pulsed, releasing five vertical discs of Wind chakra from the shield. The discs cut through the sand wave and continued their course towards Gaara. Gaara formed a tornado of sand around him and disappeared, appearing a fair distance behind Kurama, who dispersed the shield and turned around.

Kurama created three Exploding Shadow Clones, having them dash to Gaara's location. They swerved around pillars of sand, cut through sharp spikes that formed just below them and punched holes through crashing waves of sand with the Cyclone Fist. Once the clones reached Gaara, they punched him, aiming at three different points.

Gaara blocked their attacks with sand, but was rocketed backwards when they exploded. Kurama didn't hesitate to follow up, slamming Gaara with gale-force winds created by the Great Breakthrough technique. Before Gaara could make contact with the arena wall, sand covered it, cushioning the impact Gaara felt, making it nonexistent.

When Gaara returned to a standing position, Kurama could see sand peeling off of his face, chipping away and breaking down. Like a mask, the sand around Gaara's face disappeared, showing a monstrous visage – Gaara's eyes were bulging out of their sockets and a maniacal grin was plastered on his face.

"Naruto Uzumaki! Make me feel alive!" Gaara screamed. The sand around Kurama began to move much, much faster than before, making it far more difficult for Kurama to avoid the sand from crushing him. Clones he replaced himself were immediately crushed – an unpleasant, brutal experience – and the sand Gaara used had far more density, making it harder to cut.

_I'm not even going to try and dig underground. _Kurama thought. After avoiding multiple sand bullets, Kurama summoned multiple clones to distract Gaara. Kurama attached an explosive tag to his wind-laced kunai and threw it at Gaara, using the Great Breakthrough to speed up its travel through the air. The kunai was stopped a centimetre away from Gaara's chest and exploded, creating a large-scale explosion.

After most of the smoke cleared, a large claw made of sand erupted from the remaining wisps of smoke, catching Kurama in its grip and slamming against the wall. The claw returned to Gaara, who had half of his body covered in sand; his sand covered arm was much larger than his normal arm and was similar to a claw, complete with complicated tattoos while his clothing was singed, covered in soot. His face was far more menacing – half-tanuki, half-human. Kurama got up and shook off the incredible pain he was feeling. An orange chakra cloak roared into life, forming around Kurama.

_It's starting. Soon enough, Shukaku will take over Gaara's body and be fully unleashed. _Kurama thought. He heard an explosion of smoke come from the Kage section and noticed two shinobi – Kankurō and a Hidden Sand Jōnin with a veil covering half of his face – appear next to Gaara, who returned to normal, grasping his forehead.

"Get out of the way, Kankurō!" Kurama growled. "I'm going to beat Gaara!"

"Kankurō," the Jōnin said, ignoring Kurama. "Get Gaara out of here. Stick to the plan."

"Yes, Baki-sensei," Kankurō replied. He put Gaara's arm over his shoulder and disappeared, using the Body Flicker to escape. Kurama was about to follow, but was stopped by Baki, who appeared in front of him.

"You're not getting near Gaara, kid," Baki said coldly. He was met by Hayate, whose katana was unsheathed, its tip pointed at Baki's throat.

"Naruto," Hayate said seriously. "Go after Gaara and beat him – you've shown everyone that you can. Leave this guy to me."

Kurama grinned. "Sure, but before I go, I think you'll need a bit of a boost." Kurama pumped chakra into Hayate, causing a chakra cloak identical to his own to form around him.

Hayate smiled; his eyes glinting in the light to show their change in colour from black to a dark red. "This may be just enough to ensure my victory – this time."

Kurama formed a Shadow Clone, which headed towards the Kage area in order to assist the Hokage – or at least give him extra chakra. _The Hokage's proven to be quite the ally. I'll make sure that he isn't killed by whoever's responsible for this. _A single tail burst from the base of Kurama's spine, before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, chasing after Kankurō and Gaara.

_I won't let you escape, Shukaku..._

* * *

**Jutsu List**:

Wind Style: Cyclone Fist - B-Rank, Ninjutsu, offensive. The user punches the air, forming a concentrated burst of Wind elemental chakra that travels towards its target, inflicting serious blunt damage. Gathering chakra into the fist will result in a much larger burst of chakra being released, which takes the shape of a cyclone, which also inflicts blunt damage with far more intensity.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thank you to everyone who has supported my story. Even if you're only reading this, as long as you enjoy it, that's good enough for me. Tell me what you think about the chapter.


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